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TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


',(3  W£5T  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER, NY    M580 

(7^6)  872-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


.    Coloured  covers/ 
yA    Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


Couverture  endommagie 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pellicul6e 


n    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


D 


D 


D 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


I    7]    Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  itait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmies. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm6  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  d6tails 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographlque,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmaga 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I    Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 


□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 


D 
0 
D 
D 


D 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pellicul^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachet6es  ou  piqudes 

Pages  Jetached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  inigale  de  I'impression 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  peture, 
etc.,  ont  it6  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
to 


Th 
po 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
th( 
sic 
oti 
fin 
sic 
or 


Th 
sh 
Til 
w» 

Ml 
dif 
en 
be 
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D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplimentaires: 


This  Item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


D 


2 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


ails 

du 

>difier 

une 

nag'd 


The  copy  filmad  hare  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  Britiih  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  the  bast  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  ^  rinted  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  M  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  I'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimis  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symbolas  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  da  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  sym'bole  ~»-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  filmi  6  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  il  droits, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


rrata 
:o 


pelure, 
1  d 


a 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

6 

6 

ER  1 


lO  Oeixt«s» 


NE:Ti>ETECTivEt.lBPAfe^ 


^ 


lET  &  SMITH  r -.  PUBLISHERS 


,/ 


,y 


MMET  LIBRARY 


A  wuekly  pubUcsllon  devoted  toDbtecttve  llteratare 

lly  Mtilwcrlptlon  $S  per  year.    8»pt.  1,  1897. 

Eoteiuil  as  8»coiid-('Ia88  matter  at  5.  Y.  post-oOBce, 


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2.- 

4- 


-<iA  Klondike  Claim.     By  Nicholas  Carter. 
-The  Great  Enigma.     By  Nick  Carter.  - 
-zA  Titled  Counterfeiter.     By  Nick  Carter. 
-Tracked  <^ cross  the  nAtl antic.     By  Nick  Carter. 


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238  WILLIAM   ST.,  NEW   YORK. 


|L 


\ 


f 


m 
al 
of 


A  KLONDIKE  CLAIM 


)re? 


->^ 


A 


/ 


A  KLONDIKE  CLAIM 


A  DETECTIVE  STORY 


BY 


NICHOLAS  CARTER 


NEW  YORK 

STREET  &  SMITH.  Publishers 
29  Rose  Street 


OOPTRTOHTBD 

1897. 
By  Stbebt  &  Smith. 

AUi    RIOHTB    BB8KBVBD. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEB. 


PAGE. 


I.— Old  Glory  Mine 7 

II.— Saved  From  a  Bullet  By  a  Lariat 15 

III.— Stokes  Gives  a  Key  To  His  Suspicious 20 

IV.— An  Electric  Purse 26 

v.— In  a  Pack  of  Snarling  Dogs 36 

VI. — A  Prescription  That  Failed 43 

VII. — Handicapping  a  Steamer ^'j 

VIII.— Fowler  Tries  to  Play  Pilot 57 

IX.— Old  Glory  Afloat  Once  More ; 61 

X. — Stolen  Papers  '. 69 

XI. — Stokes  as  a  Window  Breaker 74 

XII.— Bellows  Surprised  and  Mysterious 80 

XIII. — A  Strange  Attempt  at  Capture 87 

XIV.— An  Exploded  Safe 94 

XV.— A  Frozen  Thumb  for  a  Plug 99 

XVI. — A  Night  In  An  Esquimau  Hut 106 

XVII. — A  Chase  On  the  Snow  Crust 113 

XVIII. — At  the  Bottom  of  the  Glacier 119 

XIX. — A  Quiet  Conversation 122 

XX. — De  Bilkyou  Appears 129 

XXI.— A  Puzzler  for  Harvey  "Stokes 135 

XXII.— Ole's  Discovery I4O 

XXHL— A  Pitfall  I47 

XXIV.— De  Bjelkja's  Gold  Mine !  155 

XXV.— Stokes  Wins  the  Pot 162 

XXVI.— Outwitted  By  a  Woman 167 

XXVII.— Checkmated 176 

XXVIIL— Sailing  in  a  Kayak 183 

XXIX.— The  Battle  With  Wolves 193 

XXX.— Kotuk's  Peril 20^ 

XXXI.— A  Voyage  On  An  Iceberg 208 


207^46 


•       # 


A  KLONDIKE  CLAIM 


CHAPTER  I. 

OU)  GI,0RY  MINK. 

"Lookout,  Da  ,       water's  risin'." 

"Humph !  I  should  t'iuk  'ti:..  Hes  dehull  divide  bruk  loube?" 

The  speaker,  up  to  his  knees  in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  sLaggered 
as  the  fierce  current  surged  against  him  with  great  force. 

Like  his  companion,  he  had  ho7d  of  a  rowboat;  havirg  rowed 
until  their  oars  were  not  strong  enough  for  the  current  they  had 
got  out  and  were  now  wading,  pulling  the  boat  along  in  the 
hope  of  finding  smooth  water  above  the  rapids. 

In  this  way  they  had  traveled  for  two  days,  rowing  or  pad- 
dling when  the  water  was  smooth  enough,  and  towing  the  boat 
over  rough  places. 

They  were  in  the  wilds  of  Alaska,  many  miles  above  Circle 
City. 

Two  American  miners  hunting  for  gold. 

Dan  Fowler  and  John  Carney  were  young  men  in  years,  but 
old  when  it  comes  to  reckoning  by  hard  labor  and  experience  in 
searching  for  the  precious  yellow  metal. 

Having  experienced  various  ups  and  downs  of  fortune  in  the 
gold  fields  of  Wyoming  and  Colorado,  they  had  drifted  with  the 
new  tide  of  treasure  hunters  to  the  north,  and  'or  some  months 
had  been  prospecting  in  the  frozen  North. 

When  they  started  on  this  search  each  had  a comfortablc'5take, 
the  result  of  a  lucky  find  at  Cripple  Creek, 


>     :      I 


s 


OLD   GLORY  MINE. 


'1'^" 


Fortune  had  not  favored  them  in  Alaska  at  the  itart,  and  the 
time  came  when  they  saw  the  bottom  of  their  pile  approaching; 
then  with  the  true  spirit  of  adventure  they  invested  every  cent 
they  had  left  in  an  outfit  for  exploring  the  interior.  This 
included  a  boat  and  a  plentiful  stock  of  provisions,  and  a  small 
supply  of  mining  tools. 

It  took  them  two  or  three  weeks  after  leaving  Circle  City,  to 
reach  a  point  of  the  interior  where  it  seemed  worth  while  to 
begin  the  serious  hunt. 

Their  way  had  been  by  a  most  crooked  course  among  the 
islands,  and  as  neither  of  they  was  a  mariner,  it  was  very  doubt- 
ful whether  they  could  retrace  their  course  by  the  same  way  they 
had  come.     This  point,  however,  did  not  disturb  them  at  all. 

If  only  they  could  find  gold  they  were  certain  that  they  could 
somehow  find  their  way  back  to  civilization. 

They  had  tested  the  dirt  at  the  mouths  of  several  streams  until 
finally  they  found  one  where  there  was  a  faint  show  of  color. 
This  was  enough  for  them,  and  they  started  inland. 

During  the  first  day  their  journey  had  been  comparatively 
easy,  but  on  the  second  they  found  the  land  rising  more  and 
more  abruptly  and  the  stream  becoming  more  and  more  difficult 
of  navigation. 

Their  experienced  eyes  told  them  that  if  they  could  only  sur- 
mount those  particular  rapids  they  would  probably  find  a  long 
stretch  of  comparatively  level  water  above  it. 

They  were  struggling  hopefully  with  the  boat,  when  all  of  a 
sudden  it  was  almost  wrenched  from  their  hands  by  what  seemed 
to  be  &  wave  rushing  down  stream. 

The  water  rose  suddenly  to  their  armpits. 

They  had  no  more  than  cried  out  in  the  words  set  down  above, 
when  they  were  lifted  fiom  their  feet  end  swept  away. 

With  fierce  determination  they  clung  to  the  boat,  and  after 
pounding  over  the  rough  bed  of  the  stream  for  a  few  rods  they 
came  to  a  sudden  halt  at  a  bend. 

The  boat  was  jammed  against  a  bank  with  Fowler  under  it  on 
one  side,  and  Carney  clinging  to  it  on  the  other. 


. 


and  the 
roaching; 
ivety  cent 
r.       This 

a  small 

;   City,  to 
1  while  to 

mong  the 
ery  doubt- 
way  they 
at  all. 
hey  could 


earns  until 
of  color. 

iparatively 

more  and 

re  difficult 

I  only  sur- 
5ind  a  long 

;n  all  of  a 
iiat  seemed 


own  above, 

,  and   after 
(  rods  they 

ander  it  on 


OLD   GLORY  MINE.  9 

"Are  you  hurt,  Dan?"  panted  Carney  as  he  tried  to  get  around 
the  end  of  the  boat  to  help  his  comrade. 

Fowler  blew  about  a  quart  of  water  out  of  his  mouth  and 
responded : 

"Purty  nigh  drownded,  John,  but  no  bones  bruk. " 

Fortunately  for  them,  the  fierce  current  held  the  boat  against 
the  bank  until  Carney  reached  Fowler's  side  and  helped  him  to 
his  feet. 

Then,  pulling  together,  and  assisted  partly  by  the  current, 
they  managed  to  get  the  boat  half  out  of  the  water. 

•'What's  happened  to  the  durned  stream,  anyway?"  growled 
Fowler,  looking  in  amazement  at  the  wildly  rushing  water. 

'Looks  as  ef  some  fellow's  flume  hed  give  way,"  remarked 
Carney,  thoughtfully. 

".'Tain't  likely,"  responded  Fowler,  "thet  any  fellow's  got  a 
flume  up  above  yeie.  More  likely  we're  the  fust  white  men  es  hev 
ever  set  foot  in  this  yere  country. ' ' 

"Then,"  said  Carney,  "I  reckon  thet  some  lake  hes  bust  her 
banks. ' ' 

Both  men  looked  critically  at  the  roaring  stream. 

"It  suttinly  is  just  es  ef  a  dam  hed  give  way, "  remarked  Fov7- 
Icr  after  a  moment. 

"Yep,"  responded  Carney,  "an'  it's  got  over  the  worst  ov  it, 
I  reckon." 

It  did  seem  as  if  the  force  of  the  torrent  was  decreasing. 

"Look  yere,  Dan,"  cried  Carney,  suddenly,  "this  yere's  our 
time  to  try  the  pan  agin." 

Without  another  word  he  waded  into  the  stream  and  plunged 
his  hands  down  to  the  bottom,  bringing  them  up  filled  with 
gravel  and  bits  of  rock,  which  he  tossed  into  the  boat.  With  a 
glance  at  the  boat  to  see  that  it  was  secure  from  being  swept 
away.  Fowler  followed  his  comrade  into  the  stream  and  operated 
in  a  similar  fashion. 

Presently  one  of  them  held  up  a  small  fragment  of  quartz  that 
looked  as  if  it  had  been  torn  off  from  a  ledge  recently. 

"By  gum!"  he  exclaimed,  with  suppressed  excitment,  "but 
this  yere's  got  the  shine  an'  no  mistake." 


to 


OLD   GLORY   MINE. 


The  other  came  to  his  side,  and,  standing  waist  deep  in  the 
torrent,  they  looked  at  the  little  piece  of  rock  with  greedy  eyes. 

The  streaks  of  dull  yellow  upon  its  surface  could  be  mistaken 
by  nobody. 

It  was  gold ! ! 

"It's  just  been  ripped  off  some  ledge  by  thet  wave," 
exclaimed  Fowler,  excitedly. 

"Exactly  what  I  was  thinkin',"  responded  Carney,  "an'  thet 
was  why  we  tried  the  gravel.     Let's  see  what  the  pan  says." 

They  hurried  to  the  boat,  and  for  several  minutes  thereafter  they 
occupied  themselves  in  shaking  their  sieve-like  pans  in  order  to 
dispose  of  the  worthless  gravel. 

When  they  had  finished  they  found  to  their  amazement  several 
particles  of  pure  gold,  which,  though  not  large,  were  sufficient 
to  assute  their  experienced  eyes  that  they  had  made  a  valuable 
discovery. 

"We've  hit  it  at  last,  Dan,"  said  Carney. 

"Thet  we  hev, "  was  the  response,  "an'  the  only  thing  we  hev 
got  to  do  now  is  to  find  where  it  come  from." 

"Up  stream,  of  course. " 

"Yep,  but  how  far?" 

Again  they  looked  at  the  current,  and  again  at  the  fragment  of 
gold-bearing  quartz. 

"Thet  was  an  all-fired  powerful  wave, "  remarked  Fowler. 

"  But  all  the  same  it  couldn't  hevbrung  thet  piece  of  rock 
more'n  a  mile  or  so'. ' 

"No,  I  reckon  not." 

Without  further  discussion  they  left  their  boat  where  it  was 
and  climbed  along  the  bank  of  the  stream  t-:itil  they  came  to  the 
top  of  the  rapids. 

There  they  found,  as  they  had  expected,  a  stretch  of  compara- 
tively smooth  water ;  but  it  was  so  short  that  it  did  not  seem  sens- 
ible to  drag  the  boat  up  to  it. 

Les.s  than  a  hundred  yards  from  the  top  of  the  rapids  they  saw 
the  water  was  boiling  and  churning  in  a  way  that  indicated 
another  rapids  of  much  greater  force  and  depth  than  the  one  that 
had  just  blocked  their  way. 


OLD  GLORY  MINE. 


II 


p   in  tlie 
:dy  eyes, 
mistaken 


t    wave," 

•'an'  thet 
lys." 
;af  ter  they 
I  order  to 

nt  several 

sufficient 

a  valuable 


igwe  hev 


agment  of 

iwler. 
of  rock 


lere  it  was 
me  to  the 

compara- 
seem  sens- 

they  saw 
indicated' 
e  one  that 


They  decided  that  the  on«  thing  to  do  was  to  faston  their  boat 
where  it  lay,  cache  tbeir  provisions,  and  proceed  up  stream  on 
foot  until  they  should  find  the  ledge  from  which  the  gold  in  the 
river  bed  came. 

This  they  proceeded  to  do,  and  about  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon they  reached  a  point,  perhaps  two  miles  from  the  boat, 
where  the  stream  flowed  through  a  narrow  cleft  in  a  ledge. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  ledge  was  a  small  lake,  and  it  took 
them  but  a  moment  t</  see  that  its  banks  were  so  peculiarly 
arranged  that  the  water  would  rise  at  intervals  and  overflow,  thus 
sending  down  just  such  a  wave  as  that  which  had  overwhelmed 
them. 

They  found  the  gravel  from  the  stream  below  the  ledge  won- 
derfully rich  in  free  gold,  and  before  sundown  they  had  discov- 
ered that  part  of  the  ledge  that  seemed  to  be  the  hiding  place  of 
great  quantities  of  the  yellow  metal. 

Although  these  miners  had  had  great  experience  in  gold  hunt- 
ing, they  were  so  excited  by  their  discovery  that  for  a  moment  or 
two  they  danced  upon  the  bank  of   the   stream   like  schoolboys. 

"Dan,"  cried  Carney,  "let's  give  three  cheers!" 

"Hurrah!"  responded  Fowler,  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

They  both  together  cried  "hurrah!"  three  times,  and  wound 
up  with  a  tiger  that  could  be  heard  miles  away  in  the  forest. 

"We'll  just  settle  this  yere  claim  now  an'  for  good,"  shouted 
Carney. 

And  he  took  from  his  inside  pocket  a  small  flag  bearing  the 
Stars  and  Stripes. 

"I've  just  been  wai tin',"  he  said,  "to  make  some  real  good 
find  so's  to  mark  the  claim  with  Old  Glory." 

"Do  yer  s'pose  this  is  a  part  of  the  United  States,  John ?" 
asked  Fowler. 

"I  reckon  'tis." 

"We  can't  be  far  from  the  boundary  line,  though.** 

"Puhl  the  queen  don't  own  nothin'  this  side  of  the  farthest 
mountains  you  can  see  to  the  east. ' ' 

"P'r'aps  not,  but  yei  know  there's  a  lot  of  territcicy  yere  that's 
in  dispute  betweeo  the  two  governtoeats. " 


12 


OlvD    GLORY  MINE. 


m 


!ll 


"I  don't  care  a  hang  if  there  is.    We're  Amaricacs,  ain't  we?" 

'•You  bet" 

•'And  we've  found  this  mine,  ain't  we?" 

"I  reckon  we  hev. " 

"Then  Old  Glory  goes  up  to  mark  the  discovery  and  make 
known  our  claim  to  it. ' ' 

While  he  was  talking  Carney  had  been  cutting  a  branch  from  a 
small  tree  and  fastening  the  flag  to  it.  This  done,  he  jammed 
the  stick  into  a  crevice  in  the  rock  and  fastened  it  securely. 

The  flag  fluttered  bravely  in  the  light  breeze  that  was  stirring, 
anu  both  men  hurrahed  again. 

"Let's  give  her  a  salute!"  exclaimed  Fowler. 

Both  men  drew  their  revolvers  and  fired  two  shots  into  the  air. 
Then,  ar  it  was  growing  dark,  they  decided  to  return  to  their 
boat  and  camp  there  for  the  night.  * 

They  supposed  themselves  alone  in  this  wilderness,  but  all 
unknown  to  them  there  were  eager,  hostile  eyes  glaring  on  their 
operations  from  a  thicket  on  the  lake  side  of  the  ledge. 

Perhaps  their  first  cries  of  excitement  resounding  through  the 
forest  had  attracted  savage  wanderers  to  the  spot.  At  all  events, 
there  were  crouching  forms  in  the  thicket  when  the  Americans 
fired  their  salute. 

After  the  prospectors  had  started  down  stream  toward  theit 
boat,  two  figures  crept  stealthily  over  the  ledge  to  the  spot  where 
Old  Glory  marked  the  new-found  claim. 

In  the  growing  darkness  these  two  figures  picked  up  fragments 
of  rock  that  had  been  broken  off  by  the  miners'  hammers,  and 
examined  them. 

Presently  one  of  them  raised  his  hand  angrily  to  tear  down  the 
flag. 

The  other  checked  him,  and  after  a  whispered  consultation 
both  withdrew  again  to  the  thicket. 

Next  morning  Fowler  and  Carney  toiled  up  the  slope  again, 
brin):ing  provisions  and  materials  necessary  for  a  camp,  and  after 
making  three  or  four  trips  they  had  all  their  mining  tools  also 
upon  the  ground. 

For  all  they  knew  or  aua|»ected,  tl^ey  were  hMudreds  of  miles 


OliD   GlyORY  MINK. 


13 


In'twe?" 


ind  make 

ch  from  a 
e  jammed 
•ely. 
stirring, 


to  the  air. 

Q  to  their 

• 

B,  but  all 
;  on   their 

ough  the 
ill  events, 
Americans 

vard  theii 
pot  where 

fragments 
tners,  and 

down  the 

isultation 

>e  again, 
and  after 
ools  also 

of  miles 


ftota  any  other  human  being.  Yet  as  they  worked  eagerly  they 
were  watched  every  minute  by  unseen  eyes  in  the  surrounding 
thicket. 

For  three  days  the  miners  worked  almost  incessantly.  When 
it  was  dark  they  built  a  bonfire  and  drilled  and  blasted  by  its 
light. 

They  slept  only  when  fatigue  completely  overcame  them. 

The  reason  for  their  tremendous  labors  lay  in  the  fact  that 
their  blasts  revealed  more  and  more  gold,  and  considerable  quan- 
tities came  out  in  what  is  known  as  the  free  state — that  is,  it  was 
gold  unmixed  with  any  other  metal  and  needing  only  the  opera- 
tion of  the  mint  to  turn  it  into  money. 

Such  particles  they  stowed  in  the  big  belts  they  wore  around 
their  waists.  * 

Quartz  containing  the  color  they  heaped  into  a  pile  near  the 
bank  of  the  stream;  selecting  from  it  such  samples  as  they 
intended  to  take  back  to  Circle  City  for  assaying. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  it  was  not  their  plan  to  develop  this 
wonderful  mine  with  only  the  few  tools  that  they  had  brought 
with  them. 

They  meant  to  work  it  sufficiently  to  prove  its  value  and  then 
to  return  to  Circle  City  to  organize  a  company  which  should  sup- 
ply sufficient  capital  to  bring  smelting  machinery  to  the  spot  and, 
if  necessary,  to  build  a  railroad  to  take  the  ore  from  the  mine  to 
the  seashore. 

They  named   their  mine  "The  Old  Glory,"  and  set  up  other 
stakes  beside  the  one  that  bore  the  flag,  in   order  to  include  as  * 
much  of  the  gold-bearing  ledge  as  possible  in  their  claim. 

Day  after  day  the  unseen  ?yes  glared  at  them  from  the  thicket. 

It  W4S  |ust  about  sundown  on  the  third  day  when  the  miners 
first  became  aware  that  their  operations  were  observed. 

They  were  standing  close  together,  examining  a  piece  of  quartz 
that  had  been  loosened  by  their  last  blast. 

Two  shots  rang  out  from  the  top  of  the  ledge  and  Carney 
dropped  to  the  ground. 

Fowler  was  not  hit. 

A  hasty  glance  toward  the  thicket  sho^^ed  him  a  little  cloud  of 


14 


OLD  GLORY  MINE. 


blue  smoke  rising,  and  another  glance  at  his  companion  showed 
that  Carney  had  been  instantly  killed. 

It  flashed  upon  Fowler's  mind  that  the  assassins  had  mis- 
takenly aimed  at  the  same  man,  and  that  as  soon  as  they  had  dis- 
covered their  mistake  his  own  life  would  not  be  worth  a  candle. 

He  instantly  jumped  aside  and  darted  into  the  forest  at  the 
base  of  the  ledge.  Hardly  had  he  done  so  when  his  fears  were 
justified  by  other  shots  from  behind,  and  he  heard  bullets  clip, 
ping  the  leaves  and  scarring  the  bark  above  his  head. 


SAVED  FROM  A  BUI^I^ET  BY  A  I^ARIAT. 


15 


CHAPTER  II. 

SAVED  FROM  A  BUI.I.BT  BY  A  J^AKIAt. 

Fowler  ran,  as  any  man  would  whose  life  was  in  danger. 

He  kept  well  within  the  line  of  forest  that  bordered  the  bank 
of  the  stream,  and  for  fully  a  mile  he  was  aware  that  pursuit  was 
hard  and  earnest  behind  him. 

More  than  once  there  was  a  shot  that  was  meant  for  him,  and 
only  escaped  its  mark  by  being  turned  aside  by  the  trees. 

When  at  last  he  reached  the  place  where  the  boat  lay  against 
the  bank  he  was  well-nigh  exhausted. 

He  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  his  enemies  would  be  upon 
him  soon,  and  as  his  comrade  was  beyond  help  he  hastily  untied 
the  boat,  shoved  it  into  the  stream  and  jxmiped  in. 

The  current  promptly  set  it  going,  and  using  a  paddle  simply 
to  guide  it,  he  sped  down  the  rapids  with  the  speed  of  a  locomo- 
tive. 

It  took  all  his  skill  and  strength  to  prevent  the  boat  from  being 
wrecked  upon  the  numerous  rocks  that  lined  the  rapids,  and 
when  he  was  in  comparatively  still  water  he  paddled  for  all  he 
was  worth. 

All  night  long  he  kept  at  his  task,  and  when  morning  came  he 
could  see  Circle  City  faintly  in  the  distance. 

Fortunately  a  considerable  portion  of  the  provisions  taken  by 
him  and  Carney  was  left  in  the  boat.  Living  was,  therefore,  an 
easy  matter  as  long  as  the  weather  held  good. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  tragedy  at  Old  Glory  Mine  he 
landed  in  Circle  City  and  went  at  once  to  the  one  hotel  of  the 
place,  where  he  expected  to  find  friends. 

He  found  not  only  friends,  but  many  others  who  gathered 
around  and  listened  to  his  story  eagerly. 

•'The  p'int  is,"  he  concluded,  "that  there's  nothin'  lost  except 


i6 


SAVED  FROM  A  BULLET  BY  A  LARIAT. 


poor  Carney's  life.  The  beastly  redskins  thet  did  for  him  an' 
druv  me  out  can  be  cleaned  out  by  a  dozen  men ;  an'  what  we 
want  to  do  is  to  get  up  a  company  thet  will  not  only  work  the 
mine,  but  fight  for  it. " 

There  were  plenty  of  hearty,  determined  men  in  the  party  of 
listeners  who  agreed  to  this  proposition ;  among  them,  however, 
were  some  who  listened  seriously  and  looked  doubtful. 

One  of  these  was  a  magnificently  built  young  man.  His  face 
was  well-featured  and  strong,  his  muscular  development  hercu- 
lean. It  could  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  he  was  new  in  Alaska. 
He  said  nothing  until  the  others  had  discussed  the  situation  at 
considerable  length.     Then  he  asked : 

"Did  you,  see  the  redskins,  stranger?" 

Fowler  hardly  glanced  at  the  tenderfoot  as  he  answered : 

"No,  I  didn't.  I  'low  freely  thet  I  cut  an'  run  es  fast  es  I 
could,  for  I'm  not  hankerin'  to  face  a  gang  of  bloodthirsty 
Indians." 

"Thet's  right  'nuff,"  remarked  the  athlete,  thoughtfully,  "but 
how  many  shots  was  thar?" 

At  this  question  Fowler  looked  sharply  at  him  and  was  appar- 
ently displeased ;  he  noticed,  however,  to  his  surprise,  that  the 
other  men  in  the  toom  were  listening  attentively,  as  if  they  had 
considerable  respect  for  anything  that  the  tenderfoot  might  have 
\.o  say. 

"I  didn't  stop  to  do  no  countin',  young  feller,"  Fowler  said, 
curtly.  "But  ef  you're  anxious  to  keep  tab  on  'em,  I  should  say 
es  it  might  hev  bin  a  dozen  all  told ;  but  let  me  tell  you  ef  you 
had  been  thar  you  wouldn't  hev  counted  more'n  three  or  four 
before  you'd  hev  got  tiled  of  countin',  you  hear  me!" 
A  The  listeners  smiled  grimly  at  this,  and  the  athlete  nodded 
quietly.  It  was  evident  that  he  took  no  offence  at  Fcwlet's 
remarks,  and  that  he  was  determined  to  get  a  satisfactory  answer 
to  his  questions. 

"A  dozen  shots  all  told,"  he  said,  slowly,  "means  thet  you 
included  the  shots  fired  at  you  es  you  was  hittin'  it  up  through 
the  timb^?" 

"H'm,  h'm.'» 


. 


SAVED  FROM  A  BULLET  BY  A  LARIAT. 


17 


him  an' 
what  we 
7ork  the 

party  of 
aowever, 

His  face 
t  hercu- 
1  Alaska, 
ation  at 


d: 

fast  es  I 
adthirsty 

lly,  "but 

s  appar- 
that  the 
they  had 
jht  have 

ler  said, 

lould  say 

I   ef  you 

or  four 

;  nodded 
Fowler's 
y  answer* 

thet  you 
through 


Fowler  turned  his  back  partly  on  him  as  if  disgusted  with  his 
impertinence. 

"Well,  now,"  the  other  persisted,  "you  needn't  be  so  uppish^ 
for  I  may  be  j'inin'  your  expedition,  and  I  want  ter  know  about 
it." 

"You!"  exclaimed  Fowler,  turning  sharply  upon  him  and 
looking  at  him  contemptuously. 

"H'm,  h'm,"  murmured  the  athlete. 

"You'd  better  answer  him,  Dan,"  said  one  of  the  men. 
• '  Harvey  Stokes  is  a  feller  who  hes  seen  a  durned  sight  more  of 
the  world  than  the  rest  of  us  put  together,  an'  what  he  don't 
know  about  American  Indians  could  be  printed  in  a  vest-pocket- 
book." 

Fowler's  contempt  turned  to  surprise  as  he  eyed  the  man  before 
him. 

"Well,  Harvey  Stokes,"  he  said,'  slowly,  "ef  thet's  your 
name ' ' 

' '  Either  one  goes,  patdner, ' '  the  young  man  interrupted.  "I'm 
jest  a-thinkin'  thet  thar's  somethin'  peculiar  about  thet  attack  on 
your  mine,  an'  ef  so  be  you  keer  to,  I'd  like  to  hev  you  tell  us 
once  more  about  them  shots." 

"Well,"  responded  Fowler,  "tharwas  two  first  off  an'  them 
both  hit  Carney,  es  I  reckon  one  of  'em  was  meant  fer  me,  but 
the  fellers  what  was  picked  ter  do  the  firin'  got  mixed  up  in  thar 
orders  an'  both  picked  off  the  same  man,  see?" 

"Plain  es  day,"  assented  Stokes;  "but  thar  was  only  two,  was 
thar?" 

"That's  all,  until  after  I  got  to  runnin'." 

The  athlete  gave  a  little  grunt  and  thought  a  moment. 

"Hear  any  yelliu'  or  hootin'  ?"  he  asked. 

"Nary  a  hoot." 

There  was  a  pause  here  for  a  moment,  and  then  one  of  the 
men  asked : 

' '  What  be  ye  drivin'  at,  Harvey  r '  * 

"Oh,  nothin',"  he  responded;  "I  was  jeut  a  thinkin',  thdt's 
all." 


i8 


SAVED  FROM  A  BULLET  BY  A  LARIAT. 


,v 


He  edged  his  way  out  of  the  group  and  disappeared  from  the 
room  without  another  word. 

"^eems  to  be  rather  a  peart  youngster."  remarked  Fowler  after 
Stokes  had  gone.     "Who  is  he?" 

"He's  a  college  chap,"  replied  one  of  the  men,  "an'  he  got 
sick  o'  Latin  an'  Greek  an'  only  played  football  an'  boxed  an' 
rowed.  So  the  college  bosses  chucked  him,  an'  his  folks  wanted 
to  put  him  to  business,  but  he  got  stuck  on  chemicals  and  drugs 
and  such  things,  an'  went  in  for  the  detective  business,  for  the  fun 
of  it.  The  market's  glutted  out  East,  he  says,  so  he  came  here  to 
try  a  trick  or  two.  He's  got  a  little  dust  to  keep  off  the  wolf,  but 
he  don't  make  no  bluffs,  and  he's  rather  a  favorite  here,  'cos  he 
kin  fight  like  a  bull-dog." 

•   "Well,"  said  Fowler,  "sech  a  feller  might  have  likely  ideers, 
hay?" 

"We  all  hev  found  that  Stokes  is  purty  bright,"  said  one  of 
the  men. 

"Wonder  what  'twas  he  was  a-thinkin'  of?" 
"He'll  tell  you  when  he  gets  good  an'  ready,  and  not  before," 
declared  one  of  the  bystanders;  "an'  when  he  does  tell  you   it'll 
be  worth  listenin'  to." 

"Call  him  back!"  cried  Fowler.  "I  ain't  got  no  objection  to 
takin'  advice  from  a  tenderfoot  ef  he's  got  good  advice  to  offer. 
Wharishe?" 

But  Stokes  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 

The  conversation  about  Old  Glory  Mine  was  continued  until 
after  dark. 

Fowler  exhibited  the  free  gold  that  he  had  stowed  in  his  belt 
as  evidence  of  the  quality  of  the  mine,  and  a  good  deal  of  excite- 
ment was  aroused  for  recovering  the  property. 

It  was  along  toward  midnight  when  the  discussion  ended,  and 
Fowler  set  off  to  go  to  a  cabin  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where 
there  was  a  friend  with  whom  he  intended  to  lodge. 

When  he  left  the  hotel  a  stalwart  figure  slipped  out  from  a 
dark  doorway  and  followed  silently  behind  him. 

Almost  nobody  was  stirring  upon  the  streets,  and  presently 
Fowler  turned  into  a  road  that  was  wholly  unoccupied. 


SAVED  FROM  A  BULLET  BY  A  LARIAT. 


19 


He  had  gone  but  a  few  paces  when  there  was  a  sudden  whir  in 
the  air  behind  him. 

The  miner  knew  the  sound  and  would  have  jumped  aside,  but 
before  he  could  so  much  as  stir  a  muscle  a  lariat  bound  itself 
about  his  shoulders,  and  he  was  pulled  sharply  to  the  ground. 

At'the  same  instant  there  was  the  flash  of  a  gun  a  few  feet  dis- 
tant from  him.  A  loud  report,  and  a  bulFet  whistled  harmlessly 
over  the  fallen  miner's  body. 

Quick  as  a  flash,  Harvey  Stokes,  who  had  thrown  the  lariat, 
leaped  forward  and  knelt  for  an  instant  beside  Fovler,  to  dis- 
cover whether  the  man  was  injured. 

"I've  saved  you  from  thet  bullet,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  hur- 
riedly. "Now  let's  see  ef  I  can  find  the  feller  thet  fired  it." 


•o 


•TOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS. 


CHAPTER  III. 


STOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS. 


Powler  was  so  surprised  about  what  had  happened,  and  his 
sudden  fall  had  so  knocked  the  wind  out  of  him,  that  he  could 
not  say  a  word. 

He  lay  on  the  ground,  staring  and  gasping  as  Stokes  knelt 
over  him. 

When  the  brave  fellow  stood  up,  he  added : 

' '  Get  on  your  feet,  pardner,  and  leg  back  to  the  hotel  as  fast 
as  you  can  go." 

Without  waiting  to  see  whether  his  advice  was  taken,  S  :e8 
sped  down  the  street,  following  the  sound  of  rapidly  retreating 
footsteps. 

The  man  who  had  tried  to  murder  Fowler  had  turned  and  run 
the  moment  he  fired. 

One  could  have  told  by  the  sound  of  his  steps  that  he  was 
making  the  best  time  possible,  but  his  speed  was  as  nothing  com- 
pared to  that  of  his  pursuer,  who  ran  as  of  old  for  a  touchdown. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  there  was  an  Indian  in  all  Alaska  who 
could  have  beaten  Harvey  Stokes  in  a  sprint,  and  this  man,  who- 
ever he  was,  had  no  show  whatever  for  escape. 

Stokes,  running  as  lightly  as  a  cat,  was  upon  him  within  a 
hundred  yards.  The  fellow  apparently  did  not  know  that  his  pur- 
suer was  near  until  Stokes  leaped  upon  him. 

The  would-be  murderer  was  a  medium-sized,  heavily-built 
man,  and  in  a  straight  wrestling  match  might  have  worried  his 
antagonist;  but  as  both  were  running  at  full  speed  and  Stokes 
not  only  threw  all  his  weight  against  him,  but  struck  him 
sharply  on  the  head  at  the  same  time,  the  fellow  stumbled  and 
f«U  fulUength. 

Stokratbkeep  himself  from  falling  also,  bounded  over  him  and 


STOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS.        21 


run 


wa«  carried  two  or  three  paces  beyond.  He  turned  quickly,  and 
none  too  soon,  for  his  antagonist  was  only  stunned  by  V  e  colli- 
sion, and  had  fallen  in  such  a  way  that  it  happened  to  be  the 
simplest  thing  in  the  world  for  him  to  get  on  his  knees  and  draw 
his  revolver. 

It  was  altogether  too  dark  to  observe  the  man's  exact  move- 
ments, but  Stokes  could  see  the  dim  outlines  of  a  figure  rising 
from  the  ground,  and  he  knew  only  too  well  what  that  meant. 

He  had  had  sufi&cient  experience  in  knocking  about  the  world, 
and  especially  in  mining  camps,  to  know  that  this  fellow  would 
shoot  first  and  make  explanations  afterward. 

Accordingly,  Stokes  jumped  with  all  his  might  directly  against 
the  fellow,  landing  just  in  time  to  knock  his  revolver  arm  aside. 

The  weapon  was  not  fired. 

The  athlete's  movements  had  been  too  quick  for  that. 

This  second  attack  sent  the  would-be  murderer  again  to  the 
ground,  and  Stokes  went  down  with  him. 

They  grippled  there,  the  young  fellow  doing  his  best  to  wrest 
the  weapon  away  from  the  other,  and  the  latter  trying  with  all 
his  great  strength  to  point  the  muzzle  at  Stokes'  heart. 

Close  as  the  r  faces  were  to  each  other,  it  was  impossible  for 
Stokes  to  recognize  the  features  of  his  enemy. 

Neither  of  them  spoke  a  word,  for  both  of  them  were  fighting 
too  desperately. 

The  struggle  had  continued  but  a  few  seconds,  although  to  each 
man  it  doubtless  seemed  minutes,  when  somebody  came  up  hastily. 

Stokes  was  just  a'vare  of  the  approaching  footsteps,  when  he  was 
knocked  clean  away  from  his  adversary  by  a  terrific  blow  upon 
the  head. 

Just  as  drowning  men  will  clutch  at  straws,  the  young  fellow, 
as  he  half  staggered  and  half  rolled  across  the  street,  clutched  at 
whatever  was  in  his  reach. 

He  went  down  in  a  heap  at  last,  and  icA  a  few  seconds  lay  per- 
fectly still. 

He  was  not  entirely  4inconscioua;  there  was  a  loud  buzzing  in 
his  ears,  minglerl  with  which  he  had  a  vague  senae  of  reteteating 
footsteps,  white  a  million  stare  danced  btefore  Hi9-eyes. . 


2a        8T0KBS  ^IVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS. 


Presently  he  got  to  his  feet,  and  with  one  hand  upon  his  head, 
reeled  to  the  side  of  a  building  against  which  he  leaned  for  a 
moment. 

"Gee  whiz!"  he  muttered;  "that  was  the  worst  cyclone  that 
ever  come  my  way.  I  didn't  suppose  they  raised  such  things  up 
here. ' ' 

For  a  moment  longer  he  held  his  aching  head,  and  then  he 
began  to  laugh. 

"The  laugh  is  on  me  dead  for  certain  this  time,"  he  remarked 
to  himself.  "I'm  glad  I  didn't  let  on  to  the  fellows  at  the  hotel 
what  my  suspicions  were.  I've  had  a  scrap  and  I've  been  licked. 
I'm  the  only  fellow  that  knows  anything  about  it  so  far,  and  if  I 
can  find  that  man  Fowler,  I'll  see  that  he  keeps  his  mouth  shut 
about  the  whole  thing. ' ' 

He  started  to  walk,  but  found  that  his  brain  was  still  reeling 
from  the  effects  of  the  blow,  and  again  he  reached  out  his  hand 
to  the  building  for  support. 

He  laughed  again  in  amusement  at  his  queer  plight,  and  then 
for  the  first  time  realized  that  his  left  hand  was  clutched  tightly, 
and  that  something  was  in  it. 

"Hello!,"  he  said,  "I  wonder  what  I've  brought  away?'* 

He  opened  his  hand  and  felt  of  the  object  it  held  with  his  fin- 
ger ends. 

"A  button,"  he  murmured,  "and  a  small  bit  of  cloth  clinging 
to  it  Humph  1  this  may  come  handy  if  I  take  a  hand  in  this 
thing  after  to-night. 

"I  reckon  I  shall  do  just  that  same,  for  I'm  more  certain  than 
ever  that  there's  the  worst  kind  of  crookedness  afoot  here,  and 
besides  that,  *hese  fellows  have  got  my  blood  up. ' ' 

He  thrust  the  button  and  fragment  of  cloth  into  a  pocket  and 
started  on. 

He  had  now  recovered  8u£Sciently  to  walk  without  any  special 
difficulty.  As  he  went  his  mind  was  busy  in  reviewing  the  situ- 
ation. 

"There  mnst  have  b««n  two  of  them,"  he  reflected.  '*0f 
course  tber'?  were;  for  that  fellow  I  bad  oo  the  growi4  ceuldn't 
have  hit  uie  any  such  blow. 


STOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS.       23 


bead, 
For   a 

that 

s  up 

:n  he 

irked 
hotel 
rked. 
iif  I 
shut 

eliug 
band 

then 
htly, 


fin- 
ding 
this 

than 
and 

and 

scial 
situ- 

"Of 
dn't 


"I  wonder  if  they  thought  they  did  for  me?  I  wonder,  too,  if 
they  knew  who  I  was?  I  reckon  not,  for  they  couldn't  see  me 
any  more  than  I  could  see  them,  and  it's  not  likely  that  they  sus- 
pect me  of  coming  to  Fowler's  defense. 

"Which  way  am  I  going,  anyhow?" 

He  stopped  abruptly  in  his  walk,  realizing  suddenly  that  he 
had  been  so  stunned  by  the  blow  that  he  was  not  aware  of  the 
direction  he  had  taken. 

Standing  thus  and  looking  about  in  the  darkness  to  discover 
some  familiar  object,  he  saw  a  figure  move  stealthily  away  from  a 
building  a  few  paces  distant. 

"Hello,  there!"  called  Stokes,  instantlr  alert 

"I've  got  you  covered,  stranger,"  he  added,  "and  you'd  bet- 
ter halt  where  you  are,  or  you  won't  get  any  farther." 

The  figure  stopped  at  once,  and  after  a  very  brief  pause  Stokes 
heard  a  voice  saying: 

"I  reckon  I  knows  that  voice;  ain't  you  the  young  feller  thet 
lassoed  me?     Ef  you  be,  it's  all  right" 

Stokes  recognized  Fowler's  voice  and  promptly  went  forward. 
Just  as  he  came  up  to  the  miner  the  moon  came  from  behind  dark 
clouds  and  showed  him  Fowler  standing  there  with  his  arms 
bound  close  to  his  side,  the  Jakiat  being  still  around  his  shoulders 
and  body. 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  with  a  laugh,  "I'm  glad  to  see  you, 
but  what  are  you  atAndiiig  thar  for  ?' ' 

" What  in  thunder  should  I  do,  I'd  like  to  know'"  returned 
Fowler,  indignantly. 

"  Do ! "  reiorted  Stokes.     ' '  I  told  you  to  go  to  the  hotel. ' ' 

"In  this  shape?" 

"Well,  you  could  take  off  the  cord." 

"Oh,  could  I?" 

Stokes  laughed  again. 

"Is  it  too  tight  foit  you?"  he  asked. 

"Tight!"  returned  Fowler;  "it's  worse  than  a  steel  chain.  I 
wasn't  goin'  to  go  along  to  the  hotel  an'  show  myself  pulled  up 
just  es  ef  I  was  a  steer  at  a  roundup. " 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  said  Stokes,  "and  I'll  &x  you.' 


24        STOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS. 


He  began  to  undo  the  cord,  which  had  knotted  itself  behind 
Fowler's  back. 

While  he  was  at  work  at  this,  Fowler  went  on : 

"You'ie  a  mighty  smart  young  feller,  but  I'd  like  to  know 
what  in  thunder  all  this  is  about.  It  ain't  the  most  pleasant 
thing  in  the  world  to  hev  a  lariat  flung  at  you  when  you're  on 
your  way  home. ' ' 

"There's  one  thing,"  responded  Stokes,  "that  isn't  half  so 
pleasant  as  that." 

"Eh?" 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  this  lariat  you  wouldn't  hev  been  able 
to  complain  of  it." 

"Thet  don't  mean  nothin',"  growled  Fowler,  stretching  his 
arms,  which  were  now  free. 

"Don't,  eh?"  exclaimed  Stokes.  "  Now  look  here,  pardner,  if 
you  don't  undertsand  what's  happened,  I  shall  hev  to  tell  you. 

' '  I  hed  a  notion  of  my  own  that  somebody  would  try  to  do  you 
to-night  for  the  dust  you've  got  on  you,  see?" 

"I  ain't  got  no  more  dust,"  returned  Fowler,  "than  plenty  of 
other  men  that  are  now  in  Circle  City." 

"No,  but  you  showed  your  pile,  and  besides  that " 

Stokes  hesitated  a  moment;  he  was  on  the  point  of  explaining 
to  Fowler  his  own  suspicions  as  to  the  attempt  at  murder,  but 
an  instant's  reflection  convinced  him  t  lat  he  had  better  keep  his 
thoughts  to  himself,  so  he  added : 

' '  No  matter  about  that.  The  point  is  that  I  felt  certain  thet  you 
would  be  done,  and  so  I  followed  along.  I  wanted  the  attack  to 
be  made  on  on  you,  so  es  to  be  certain  thet  I  was  right,  but  I 
didn't  want  you  to  get  hurt. 

"Now,  you  were  moseyin'  along,  and  you  didn't  hev  any 
notion  you  were  in  danger,  and  you  didn't  hev  your  eyes  peeled. 
I  did.  And  though  'twas  too  dark  to  see  much,  I  did  manage  to 
catch  sight  of  somebody  dodging  behind  a  building  a  little  ways 
in  front  of  you. 

' '  Thet  means  an  ambush,  says  I  to  myself,  and  I  flung  the 
lariat  simply  for  the  purpose  of  yanking  you  out  of  the  way  of 
thet  fellow's  bullet  and  I  reckon  I  did  it." 


STOKES  GIVES  A  KEY  TO  HIS  SUSPICIONS.        25 


"Yes,  I  reckon  3'ou  did,  an'  I'm  obleeged  to  you.  I  wasn't 
complainin'  of  it  so  much  es  I  wanted  to  git  an  understandin'  of 
the  thing;  and  thet's  the  reason  es  much  es  anything  why  I 
stayed  around  yere  hopin'  you'd  come  back." 

"Well,  I'm  yere,"  said  Stokes,  "and  now  you  want  to  go  back 
to  the  hotel.     Don't  show  yourself  again  to-night." 

"Well,  but,"  Fowler  protested,  "what's  in  your  head,  young 
feller?  You  was  askin'  questions  at  the  hotel  thet  seemed  mighty 
peculiar.  Now,  I  reckon  you'll  allo^v  thet  I'm  the  most  inter- 
ested party.     Give  us  your  idees. ' ' 

"Perhaps  I  ain't  got  any." 

"Oh,  yes,  youhev!  You're  a  college  man  and  a  detective; 
'tain't  likely  thet  you  hevn't  got  some  smartness;  in  fact,  I  know 
you  hev.  I'm  certain  thet  one  idee  out  of  your  head  would  be 
worth  twenty  of  mine  or  any  other  feller's  in  Ciicle  City." 

' '  Thanks ! ' '  responded  Stokes,  dryly.  "I'm  not  so  sure  of  thet. 
I  never  did  any  real  detective  work  in  my  life, ' ' 

"Ition't  s'pose  this  is  a  detective  job,"  remarked  Fowler, 
thoughtfully.  "I  hevn't  looked  at  it  in  thet  light.  It  s  es  plain 
es  day  thet  I  was  driven  away  from  Old  Glory  Mine  by  savages ; 
an'  it's  also  es  plain  es  day  thet  some  galoot  yere  in  Circle  City 
made  a  break  for  my  pile.  I'd  like  to  hev  thet  feller  caught  an' 
strung  up,  an'  I'd  like  to  hev  the  savages  cleaned  out,  an'  thet's 
all  there's  to  it." 

Stokes  gave  a  little  grunt  that  was  as  much  as  to  say  that  he 
did  not  think  Fowler  knew  as  much  about  the  matter  as  he 
thought  he  did. 

"Thar  you  go  again!"  cried  Fowler.  "You're  hddin'  back 
idees  that  I  want  to  know  about  Ef  it's  any  question  of  gettin' 
paid  for  your  work " 

"Oh,  rats!"  interrupted  Stokes,  impatiently.  "I'm  not  out  for 
stuff;  I'm  knockin'  around  the  world  for  the  fun  of  it  and  to  see 
what  I  can  learn. 

"This  thing  interests  me,  and  I've  a  mind  to  take  a  hand  in 
it,  an'  thet  will  be  for  ■  ^e  fun  of  it,  too. 

"Ef  I  can  help  you  get  possession  of  your  mine,  I'm  goin'  to 
do  it,  but  I'm  not  in  it  for  pay. " 


a6 


AN  ElyECTRIC  PURSE. 


"Well,  I  didn't  mean  to  give  no  offence,"  said  Fowler,  "but 
I  do  think  es  you  ought  to  give  me  the  benefit  of  your  idees. ' ' 

"I'll  tell  you  just  one  thing,"  said  Stokes,  after  a  moment's 
thought,  "but  thet  must  be  on  the  understandin'  thet  you  don't 
let  it  out  to  the  crowd;  keep  it  to  yourself,  will  you?" 

"I  will,  so  help  me." 

"All  right,  then;  it's  simply  this:  It  wasn't  Indians  or  any 
other  kind  of  savages  thet  fired  on  you  and  yout  pardner  at  the 
Old  Glory  Mine." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AN  El^EC^RIC  PURSB. 

For  a  moment  Fowler  stood  speechless.     Then  he  exclaimed: 

"What  the  mischief  makes  you  think  thet?" 

"Two  or  three  things,"  Stokes  replied.  "In  the  first  place, 
the  American  Indian  doesn't  make  any  mistake  when  he  sets  out 
to  slaughter  white  men.  Two  Indians  who  hev  made  up  their 
minds  to  kill  two  men  would  never  accidentally  pick  out  the 
same  man — thet's  a  white  man's  mistake." 

"Well,  maybe  'tis,"  said  Fowler,  "but  we  hed  no  reason  to 
s'pose  there  were  any  white  men  in  thet  part  of  the  country.  We 
didn't  see  any  signs  of  any." 

"Didn't  see  any  signs  of  red  men,  did  you?" 

' '  Nary  a  one. ' ' 

"And  you  were  there  yourselves,  weren't  you?" 

"Reckon  we  were,  Stokes." 

' '  What  were  you  there  for  ?' ' 

'Gold,  of  course." 

"And  isn't  that  reason  enough  some  other  white  man  should  be 
thar?" 

"Yes,"  admitted  Fowler,  doubtfully.  "But  it  don't  seem  es 
ef  white  men  would  murder  prospectors  like  thet ' ' 

"We're  not  talkin'  of  decent  men,"  Stokes  responded,    "Now, 


AN  ElyECTRIC  PURS«. 


«7 


thar's  another  thing  to  convince  me  thet  red  men  had  no  hand  in 
it." 

"What's  thet?" 

♦'Efithad  been  Indians  who  pursued  you  they  would  have 
caught  you. " 

"Thet  looks  likely." 

"Indians  can  beat  -n'hite  men  any  time  in  running  through  a 
forest. " 

"Tbet's  so." 

"And  besides  thet,  ef  it  had  been  Indians,  they  would  hev  bed 
the  mine  surrounded  so  thet  no  matter  what  direction  you  ran  in 
you  would  hev  been  headed  off. ' ' 

"By  gum,  Stokes!     'Pears  to  me  you're  talkin'  reason." 

"You  bet  I  am.    But  keep  thet  to  yourself.'* 

"I  will " 

"Hist!" 

A  man  was  slowly  approaching. 

He  proved  to  be  one  of  the  local  police  officers.     He  looked  at 
Stokes  <tnd  Fowler  suspiciously  and  asked : 

"Been  a  shootin' match  somewhere  yere?" 

Stokes  nudged  his  companion  and  answered : 

"Shouldn't  wonder." 

"I  thought  I  heard  a  shot  from  this  direction  a  few  minutes 
ago, "  remarked  the  policeman. 

«'  I  heard  it,  too, ' '  said  Stokes. 

"What  was  the  matter?"  asked  the  officer. 

"Give  it  up,"  Stokes  answered.  "I  tried  to  find  out,  but 
couldn't;  we  were  just  talking  it  over  and  were  going  back  to  the 
hotel." 

The  oflScer  was  satisfied  and  passed  on. 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  him  about  it?"  whispered  Fowler. 

"Because  we  don't  want  to  find  out  too  much  about  this  thing 
just  now." 

"Thet's  funny!     Why  not?" 

'  *  Because ' '    Stokes    hesi  tated.     ' '  See  yere,  pardner ! "   he 

exclaimed,  suddenly,  "I've  given  you  the  key  to  my  suspicions 
about  this  thing,  and  I  don't  want  to  say  anything  more. 


# 


aS 


AN  ELECTRIC  PURSE. 


•'I'll  simply  warn  you  thet  in  mv  opinion  ef  we  should  run 
down  the  feller  thet  tried  to  do  for  yea  to-night,  you'd  likely  lose 
the  Old  Glory  Mine. 

•'Now,  ef  you  want  to  follow  my  advice,  you  get  a  company  of 
men  together,  ready  to  go  and  take  possession  of  thet  mine,  an' 
you'll  need  to  hev  fighters,  too." 

"Thare  ain't  nobody  more  anxious  to  do  thet  than  I  am,"  said 
Fowler. 

"See  thet  you  hurry  about  it,  then." 

•'Will  you  go  along,  too?" 

' '  I  shouldn  't  wonder. ' ' 

"Whare  are  you  goin'  now?" 

"I'm  goin'  to  see  what  I  can  find  out." 

"Do  you  want  me  with  you?" 

"No;  you  go  back  to  the  hotel  an'  lay  low  until  daylit,_t" 

FowIt  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  detective's  cleverness, 
and  although  he  would  have  liked  to  go  with  Stokes,  he  obeyed 
his  advice. 

As  soon  as  l^owler  was  out  of  hearing,  Stokes  started  for 
another  part  of  Circle  City,  and  presently  entered  a  barroom  that 
was  kept  open  all  night  in  defiance  of  the  law. 

He  was  admitted  after  giving  a  secret  knock  at  the  door,  which 
lie  had  learned  early  in  his  stay  in  the  city. 

A  dozen  or  more  men  were  inside,  some  of  whom  were  known 
to  Stokes. 

All  except  the  bartenders  were  men  interested  one  way  and 
another  in  mines.    Most  of  them  were  prospectors  who  had  either 
just  returned  from  trips  of  exploration  or  were  just  about  to  set 
'  out. 

Two  or  three  were  tough  characters  such  as  always  are  to  be 
found  hanging  around  places  where  miners  congregate. 

In  the  party  was  an  Englishman  named  Berkeley.  He  had 
been  in  Circle  City  for  about  three  days,  trying  to  interest  various 
men  in  a  mine  that  he  claimed  to  have  discovered  farther  north. 

He  nodded  to  Stokes  when  the  detective  entered  and  invited 
him  to  have  a  dtink. 


^m. 


AN  ELECIRIC  PURSE. 


29 


iaid 


"Too  late,"  Stokes  responded;  "I've  had  all  I  want  for 
to-night." 

"That's  right,"  said  Berkeley;  "never  take  more  than  you 
want. ' ' 

With  this  he  poured  himself  a  drink  and  wished  Stokes  good 
health  as  he  drained  the  glass. 

The  shrewd  college  man  could  see  that  Berkeley  wanted  to  talk 
with  him,  so  he  leaned  against  the  bar  negligently  and<.asked : 

"Anything  new  in  mining  matters?" 

Berkeley  glanced  around  the  room  as  if  to  see  whether  anybody 
was  listening,  then  he  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"There  is  and  there  isn't,  Mr.  Stokes." 

"Ah!"  thought  Stokes;  "this  putting  of  the  Mr.  before  my 
name  is  taffy  sure  as  a  gun.  He's  trying  to  pull  my  leg  for 
something." 

Stokes  made  no  response  aloud,  but  looked  at  Berkeley  inquir- 
ingly. 

"You've  heard,  haven't  you,"  Berkeley  said,  "of  the  mining 
property  I'm  interested  in?" 

"H'm,  h'm." 

"It's  one  of  the  richest  discoveries  ever  made  on  this  coast." 

"Is  it?" 

"You  could  stake  your  life  on  it,  Mr.  Stokes." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"Farther  up  on  the  line  of  the  river." 
"Anywhere  near  the  Old  Glory?" 

"The  what?" 
"The  Old  Glory." 
"What's  that?" 

' '  Haven 't  you  heard  about  it  ?" 

Berkeley  shook  his  head  and  looked  keenly  at  him. 

"There  was  a  man  came  in  by  boat  this  evening, "  Stokes  said, 
"who  discovered  a  mine  somewhere  in  that  direction  which  he 
called  the  Old  Glory ;  he  was  driven  away  from  it  by  a  pack  of 
Indians." 

"Oh,"  rMpOttd«d  Berkeley,  "I  did  hear  something  about  that. 


30 


AN  ElvECTRIC  PURSB. 


but  I  hadn't  caught  the  name  of  the  mine.  Whete  is  it  located?" 

"All  I  know  is  that  it  is  on  the  line  of  the  river. " 

"What  is  this  man  going  to  do  about  it?" 

The  Englishman  asked  this  question  with  an  appearance  of 
carelessness,  but  Stokes  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  he  was  much 
interested. 

"That's  more  than  I  know,"  the  college  man  responded.  "I 
heard  his  story  up  at  one  of  the  hotels,  and  left  him  there  while 
he  was  still  talking  about  it." 

"Have  you  seen  him  since?" 

"Since  when?" 

"Why,  sitfce  you  left  him  at  the  hotel.** 

Stokes  looked  puzzled  and  innocent. 

"Why,  how  should  I?"  he  asked.  "If  you  want  to  see  him 
yourself,  you  can  probably  find  him  there." 

"Oh,  it's  no  matter—no  matter,"  Berkeley  returned,  hastily; 
and  he  poured  himself  another  drink. 

Stokes  watched  him  from  the  corner  of  his  eye  while  he  was 
drinking,  and  made  up  his  mind  that  Berkeley  was  trying  to 
conceal  something. 

"He  came  pretty  near  getting  off  his  guard,"  thought  Stokes. 
"I  wonder  what  he  would  let  out  if  I  should  press  him  a  bit?" 

A  moment  later  Berkeley  turned  to  him  and  said : 

"About  my  mine,  now.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  take  shares 
yourself,  Mr.  Stokes?" 

"Me?"  remarked  Stokes  with  a  grin;  "me?  Why,  I'm  simply 
knocking  around  here  with  only  enough  money  to  pay  my  way. 
I've  got  no  capital." 

"Ah!  but  there  must  be  plenty  of  more  t^oney  where  yours 
comes  from." 

"Well,  I  reckon  there  is. " 

"If  you  saw  a  good  thing,  now,  it  wouldn't  be  like  you  to  let 
it  go,  would  it  ?' ' 

"I  reckon  not." 

"It  don't  take  so  much,  you  know,  Mr.  Stokes,  to  get  an  inter* 
est  in  an  undeveloped  mine.  >> 

"How  much,  for  instance?" 


AN  ELECTRIC  PURSE. 


31 


cated?" 


ranee  of 
is  much 

ed.     "I 

re  while 


see  him 

hastily; 

e  he  was 
tiying  to 

t  Stokes. 
a  bit?" 

ike  shares 

m  simply 
r  my  way. 

liere  yours 

you  to  let 

!t  an  inter- 


''Well,  my  partner  and  I  are  willing  to  let  a  good  share  of  the 
mine  go  for  a  very  small  sum.  We  need  a  few  hundred  dollars, 
just  to  work  the  thing  sufficiently  to  show  what  it  is  worth,  and 
then  we  can  get  ten  times — yes,  a  hundred  times  more  than  is  put 
up  for  it  by  selling  the  mine  to  a  syndicate." 

"Sounds  like  a  good  scheme!" 

"Indeed  it  is,  Mr.  Stokes.  Now,  a  young  man  like  you 
couldn't  be  traveling  about  this  way  unless  you  had  a  few  hun- 
dred dollars  handy. 

' '  All  you  would  need  to  do  would  be  to  guarantee  the  use  of  it 
for  a  couple  of  weeks,  and  before  the  time  came  when  you  would 
have  to  draw  on  your  next  allowance,  why,  you  would  have  a 
fortune  in  your  pocket." 

"That's  interesting." 

"You'd  better  come  in,  Mr.  Stokes;  the  opportunity  won't  be 
open  very  much  longer;  we  shall  find  somebody  in  Circle  City 
who  will  back  it. ' ' 

"I  reckon  you  will." 

"You  could  easily  put  up,  say,  a  thousand  dollars,  couldn't 
you?"  . 

"Shouldn't  wonder.»' 

"If  you  would,"  and  here  Berkeley's  voice  became  very  confi- 
dential, "we  won't  mind  giving  you  qauarter  interest  in  the 
scheme. ' ' 

"Generous,"  Stokes  remarked,  dryly. 

"We  mean  to  be,"  responded  Berkeley,  earnestly.  "Think  it 
over,  Mr.  Stokes." 

"I  will." 

Stokes  moved  away  from  the  bar. 

"You're  not  going  so  soon,  are  you?"  called  Berkeley. 

"Yes,  I  was  only  loafing  around  long  enough  to  get  sleepy,  and' 
now  I'm  going  to  bed. " 

The  young  fellow  had  stayed  as  long  in  the  place  as  he  cared 
to.  His  one  purpose  in  going  there  was  to  find,  if  possible  some 
man  whose  coat  was  minus  a  button  and  fragment  of  cloth. 

There  was  nobody  in  the  place  when  he  entered  whose  coat 
appealed  to  have  suffered  such  a  loss. 


3a 


AN  ELECTRIC  PURSE. 


A  man  had  come  in  while  the  conversation  with  Berkeley  was 
in  progress,  and  Stokes  eyed  him  with  especial  care ;  his  name 
was  Mark  Slote.  He  also  was  an  Englishman,  and,  as  Stokes 
believed,  a  partner  of  Berkeley's. 

Slote  had  been  among  those  at  the  hotel  when  Fowler  was  tell- 
ing his  story. 

Berkeley  appeared  to  pay  no  attention  to  Slote  when  he  entered, 
and  Stokes  felt  a  little  disappointed. 

"If  I'm  mistaken  in  all  this,"  he  thought,  "I  shall  be  more 
glad  than  ever  that  I've  not  given  my  suspicions  away." 

"I'll  see  you  to-morrow,  Mr.  Stokes,"  said  Berkeley,  as  the 
detective  started  toward  the  door. 

"All  right,"  replied  the  latter.  "When  do  you  intend  to  start 
for  this  mine  of  yours  ?" 

"That  isn't  decided  yet." 

Stokes  halted ;  it  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  be  a  good  plan 
to  get  further  information  from  Berkeley  while  the  man  was  in  a 
talking  mood,  so  he  asked  two  or  three  questions  in  an  indifferent 
manner,  but  ifkrkeley  had  suddenly  become  very  silent.  He 
answered  no  questions  directly.  After  a  minute  or  two  Stokes 
again  started  for  the  door;  he  noticed  then  that  Slote  had  disap- 
peared ;  at  the  time  Stokes  thought  nothing  of  this,  but  a  little 
later  he  had  reason  to  regard  the  man's  movements  as  extremely 
suspicious. 

After  the  legal  closing  hour  no  one  was  permitted  to  come  in 
or  go  out  of  the  bairoom  by  the  main  door. 

An  entrance  at  the  back  was  used  that  opened  upon  a  crooked 
lane  or  alley  that  led  around  to  the  street  at  some  little  distance 
from  the  barroom. 

This  alley  seemed  to  be  desetted  when  Stokes  left  the  barroom, 
but  just  as  he  rounded  a  bend  he  found  himself  confronted  by 
two  men. 

They  were  walking  rapidly,  and  he  stepped  back  a  pace  to 
avoid  a  collision. 

"Hello!"  said  one  of  them  suddenly,  as  if  surprised  at  meet- 
ing anybody;  "what  time  is  it,  stranger?" 

"That's  an  old  gag,"  thought  Stokes;  "do  these  fellows  think 


AN  ELECTRIC  PURSR. 


33 


that  thii  is  the  Bowery  and  that  I  am  a  jay  from  Hayaeedville?" 

Whatever  the  fellows  thought,  they  did  not  give  him  time  to 
answer  their  question  or  get  out  of  their  way. 

One  of  them  threw  his  arm  across  Stokes'  throat  and  slipped 
around  behind  him,  pulling  his  head  back  violently. 

"Hands  up,  there!"  said  the  other,  suddenly. 

Stokes  hands  promptly  went  into  the  air,  and  as  he  threw 
them  up  he  said  to  himself : 

"I  never  was  garroted  before,  but  it  strikes  me  this  is  a  clumsy 
way  of  doing  it." 

He  made  no  attempt  whatever  at  resistance,  but  stood  like  a 
statue.  The  man  in  front  of  him  drew  a  revolver  and  pointed  it 
straight  at  Stokes' face;  the  muzzle  was  so  close  that  he  could 
almost  feel  it. 

The  other,  still  holding  his  arm  across  Stokes'  throat,  thrust 
his  hand  into  the  man's  pocket,  where  he  carried  a  purseful  of 
coins. 

Stokes  did  not  budge. 

All  at  once  the  arm  across  his  throat  was  released,  and  the  fel 
low  who  stood  behind  him  jumped  about  a  foot  in  the  air  and 
uttered  a  sharp  cry  of  pain. 

He  tried  to  get  his  hand  out  of  Stokes'  pocket,  but  could  not 
succeed ;  and  for  a  moment  or  two  he  danced  wildly  around 
cursing  and  groaning. 

The  cry  of  pain  was  followed  instantly  by  the  report  of  a 
revolver,  and  the  weapon  held  by  the  man  who  was  facing  Stokes 
fell  to  the  ground,  while  the  man  himself  jumped  back  and  held 
his  bleeding  hand  wonderingly  before  his  eyes. 

"There  are  five  shots  more  where  that  one  came  from,"  Stokes 
remarked,  coolly,  "and  you  fellows  can  march  along  ahead  of  me 
to  the  barracks  or  take  these  shots  in  your  hearts,  just  as  you 
like." 

At  this  moment  the  garroter  managed  to  get  his  hand  out  of 
the  detective's  pocket.     He  leaped  to  one  side,  and  in  doing  so  ' 
stumbled  and  fell  to  his  knees. 

' '  You  might  as  well  stay  in  that  position, ' '  remarked  Stokes 


m- 


34 


AN  ELECTRIC  PURSE. 


as  he  lowered  his  hands.  It  appeared  then  that  he  had  a  revolver 
in  each  hand. 

The  two  ruffians  stared  at  him  in  amazement. 

"Funny,  isn't  it?"  said  Stokes,  sarcastically.  "I  don't  mind 
telling  you  fellows  all  about  it ;  this  is  what  I  call  an  improve- 
ment on  the  scheme  of  concealing  barkers  in  one's  sleeves. 

"Mine  are  so  fixed  that  when  I  raise  m}'  hands  above  my  head 
the  weapons  come  right  up  from  my  wrists,  so  that  I  can  get  h'--'' 
of  them. 

"You  didn't  see  that,  and  I  don't  suppose  anyboay  would  who 
wasn't  looking  for  it.     Now  march !" 

He  spoke  in  such  a  determined  voice  that  the  men  were  confi- 
dent that.he  would  end  their  lives  on  the  spot  if  they  did  not 
obey,  so  they  slowly  turned  about  and  started  toward  the  street. 

The  one  of  them  whose  fingers  had  been  wounded  by  Stokes' 
bullet  reached  his  well  hand  toward  a  pocket,  probably  to  draw  a 
handkerchief  for  the  purpose  of  stemming  the  flow  of  blood. 

"Stop  that!"  Stokes  commanded,  sternly;  "jou've  both  got 
sore  hands,  bat  you've  got  to  let  them  alone  until  the  surgeon  at 
the  barracks  can  attend  to  them. " 

The  men  cursed  under  their  breath,  but  went  along  immedi- 
ately. 

Stokes,  excited  and  rejoicing  over  the  success  of  his  device, 
could  not  help  joking  the  fellows  sarcastically : 

"  'Twouldn't  be  so  easy  picking  pockets  if  every  fellow  cat 
rietl  e  purse  ftke  mine,  eh?"  he  asket!. 

The  response  was  an  angry  grow!, 

"I  suppose  your  fingers  are  BLchln:*  too  much  to  make  you  feel 
pleasant,"  Stokes  continued,  "and  no  wonder,  for  unless  you 
know  how  to  take  hold  of  my  purse  it  will  reach  out  iron  claws 
and  grip  you  worse  than  a  lobster,  and  as  the  thing  works  by  a 
little  electric  battery  inside  the  purse,  you  get  the  advantage  of 
a  shock  as  well  as  a  thundering  tight  pinch. 
•  "Good  scheme,  isn't  it?" 

Neither  of  the  men  answered  any  such  questions,  and  so  driv« 
ing  them  before  him  Stokes  brought  them  at  last  to  the  door  of 


IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARIyINO  DOGS. 


35 


the  barracks ;  there  he  handed  them  over  to  the  military  authori- 
ties. 

They  proved  to  be  tough  characters  who  had  done  time  before. 

They  were  either  too  much  hurt  to  talk  freely,  or  they  had 

some  other  rea  on  for  saying  little. 

The  usual  questions  put  to  prisoners  were  answered  shortly  and 
in  a  surly  manner. 

Stokes  was  convinced  from  their  manner  that  there  was  more  to 
the  affair  than  a  mere  attempt  at  robbery,  and  when  he  left  the 
barracks  to  go  to  his  hotel  it  was  with  the  determination  to  pump 
the  prisoners,  if  possible,  on  the  next  day. 

From  the  way  they  acted  it  seemed  to  him  that  somebody  must 
have  put  them  up  to  the  job. 


CHAPTER  V. 

IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARI.ING  DOGS. 

The  next  morning  pretty  nearly  the  entire  population  of  Circle 
City  tried  to  get  into  the  court-house  to  hear  the  proceedings 
against  the  two  toughs  who  had  attacked  Stokes.     • 

Ordinarily  the  arrest  of  such  fellows  in  the  mining  town 
attracted  no  more  attention  than  such  events  do  in  a  city  like 
New  York;  but  on  this  occasion  there  was  a  double  reason  .for 
interest  in  the  matter. 

In  the  first  place,  Stokes,  during  his  few  days'  stay  in  town,  had 
become  a  general  favorite  with  all  classes. 

He  was  eagerly  received  at  the  barracks  and  everywhere  else 
that  the  soldiers  gathered ;  and  no  one  was  more  welcome  ia  the 
loafing  places  of  the  mining  population  than  the  young  traveler 
from  the  States. 

There  was,  therefore,  a  gteat  deal  of  interest  aroused  in  the 
adventure  through  which  Stokes  had  come  triumphantly,  and  in 
which  many  another  might  have  lost  not  only  his  valuables,  but 
his  life  as  well. 


36 


IN  A  PACK  OF   SNARIylNG  DOGS. 


■I . 


In  the  second  place,  Stokes,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  had  taken 
pains  to  spread  the  news  of  the  affair  among  all  classes  of  the 
population. 

He  was  not  only  convinced  that  these  two  ruffians  had  been 
put  up  to  the  job,  but  that  in  some  way  their  attempt  was  con- 
nected with  the  attack  on  the  Old  Glory  Mine. 

He  wished  to  make  certain  that  all  friends  of  the  prisoners 
should  be  in  court  so  that  he  could  observe  their  faces. 

In  this  effort  he  was  successful  so  far  as  packing  the  court- 
room was  concerned.  He  did  not  accomplish  what  he  hoped  to, 
but  that  is  not  to  be  set  down  to  his  discredit ;  it  is  rather  very 
much  to  his  credit  that  he  should  have  undertaken  so  shrewd  a 
plan  for  gaining  a  single  point  in  his  investigation.  When  the 
prisoners  were  undei  examination  they  hung  their  heads  and 
answered  in  low  tones,  and  no  bullying  or  threatening  by  the 
district  attorney  could  make  them  modify  their  answers  or  accuse 
any  one  of  having  a  hand  in  the  affair  except  themselves. 

The  trial  ended,  of  course,  in  the  sentence  of  both  men  to 
severe  punishment,  and  when  the  court  adjourned  Stokes  found 
that  nearly  half  the  day  had  been  spent. 

He  had  already  had  some  little  conversation  with  Fowler,  and 
one  result  of  this  was  that  while  the  trial  of  the  garroters  was  in 
progress.  Fowler  was  scouring  the  place  in  search  of  some  kind 
of  a  boat,  big  enough  and  swift  enough  to  take  a  party  of  men 
for  the  purpose  of  recovering  possession  of  Old  Glory. 

As  he  was  leavxng  the  court-room,  Stokes  encountered  Berkeley 
in  the  crowd. 

"Have  you  thought  about  that  matter,  Mr.' Stokes?"  Berk'iley 
whispered. 

^'Yea,"  Stokes  replied.  "I'm  in  a  hurry  just  now;  I'll  see  you 
later." 

"Well "  began  Berkeley;  but  Stokes  had  elbowed  his  way 

through  the  throng  and  was  out  of  hearing. 

"He's  still  anxious  to  get  hold  of  my  wad,"  thought  Stokes, 
"as  long  as  he  feels  that  way  I  think  we've  got  timt  to  do  what's 
necessary. ' ' 

The  datectivt  was  now  trying  to  find  Fowltr. 


IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARLING  DOGS. 


37 


lad  taken 
es  of  the 

had  been 
was  con- 
prisoners 

the  court- 
hoped  to, 
rather  very 
shrewd   a 
When  the 
heads  and 
ing  by  the 
rs  or  accuse 
ves. 

)oth  men  to 
okes  found 

Powler,  and 

)ters  was  in 

some  kind 

irty  of  men 

7. 

red  Berkeley 

?"  Berk»5ley 

I'll  see  you 

wed  his  way 

light  Stokes, 
to  do  what' 3 


As  he  hurried  from  one  place  to  another  many  complimentary 
remarks  were  made  to  him  and  many  an  admiring  glance  was 
sent  after  him.  His  carriage  was  as  superb  as  his  build  was 
strong.  His  muscles  were  firm  as  steel.  He  was  not  thin  or  even 
slender,  yet  there  was  not  a  waste  ounce  of  flesh  upon  his  body. 

As  a  grizzled  old  miner  put  it :  he  was  all  bone,  muscle  and 
nerve,  "and  three-quarters  nerve,  sir." 

He  had  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  world,  therefore,  and  had 
learned  long  since  to  depend  upon  himself. 

Having  no  need  to  work  for  a  living,  he  had  not  seriously 
thought  of  becoming  a  detective,  though  ma'ny  times  he  longed 
for  something  in  that  line  to  do.  He  found  the  work  more  inter- 
esting and  exciting  than  the  best  football  he  ever  played. 

About  noon  Stokes  found  Fowler  returning  from  one  of  the 
docks. 

"Well,"  said  Fowler,  "I've  got  a  boat." 

"Good!     What's  she  like?" 

"A  schooner  that's  big  enough,  and,  in  her  time  she  was  swift 
enough. ' ' 

"She  ought  to  do  for  us,  then." 

"Well,  I  don't  know;  when  she  was  in  the  service  of  taking 
seals  and  keeping  out  of  the  way  of  the  Government  patrol  boats, 
I  reckon  she  could  do  a  handy  bit  of  runnin',  but  she  hain't  got 
the  rig  for  it  now,  an'  she's  seen  a  good  deal  of  nasty  weather." 

"She's  the  best  you  could  find,  I  suppose?" 

"The  best  an'  pretty  much  the  only  one." 

"Let's  take  a  look  at  her." 

They  returned  to  the  dock  together  and  Stokes  went  over  the 
craft  from  stem  to  stern. 

She  was  called  the  Frozen  Spray.  Evidently  an  old  tub,  but 
apparently  sound  and  still  capable  of  showing  good  speed  if  prop- 
erly handlcv' 

"She'll  uj,'  Stokes  remarked.  "Now  the  thing  to  do  is  to  fit 
her  out.     How  many  men  have  you  got  who  have  promised   to 

go?" 

"A  £oB«a,  countin'  you  and  vie." 


38 


IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARLING  DOGS. 


"Don't  get  any  more,  then,  for  that  will  be  an  unlucky  num- 
ber." 

"Will  a  dozen  be  enough?" 

"I  haven't  a  doubt  of  it,  if  they're  good  ones." 

"They're  the  pick  of  the  best  men,"  said  Fowler,  gravely, 
"who've  come  to  Alaska  from  the  mines  iti  the  States." 

Stokes  nodded  in  a  satisfied  way,  and  they  started  back  toward 
their  hotel  discussing  the  plans  for  provisioning  and  fitting  out 
the  vessel. 

Fowler  wanted  to  delay  the  departure  long  enough  to  put  on 
board  a  considerable  quantity  of  mining  implements,  so  that  the 
work  at  Old  Glory  could  be  pushed  to  the  utmost. 

Stokes  advised  against  this. 

"You  want  to  get  hold  of  your  mine  first,"  he  said.     "When 
you're  sure  you've  got  it  and  that  you  can  hold  it,  then  you  can 
leave  part  of  your  men  theie  and  return  to  Circle   City,  hunt  up  ; 
capitalists,  and  sell  the  mine,  or  work  it,  just  as  you  choose. ' ' 

Fowler  argued  that  there  would  be  a  better  showing  for  a  profit- 
able sale  if  the  ledge  at  Old  Glory  could  be  tunneled  to  a  consid- 
erable distance  before  bringing  capitalists  to  inspect  it;  but  Stokes! 
was  obstinate  in  his  advice  to  get  th«  expedition  off  with  aii  little  j 
delay  as  possible. 

Fowler  yielded  and  immediately  after  dinner  went  to  various  j 
stores,  where  he  purchased  provisions  and  ammunition  and] 
ordered  them  stowed  on  board. 

It  was  understood  that,  if  possible,  the  expedition  would  start  j 
early  the  next  day. 

Stokes  did  his  share  in  making  matters  ready  and  contributed] 
not  a  little  from  his  own  purse  to  the  expenses  of  the  expedition 
which  were  necessarily  heavy. 

A  good  deal  of  his  time  and  attention,  however,  was  spent  inj 
roaming  about  Circle  City,  always  in  the  hope  of  meeting  some! 
man  whose  coat  was  minus  a  button,  or  of  finding  some  otherl 
information  which  should  strengthen  his  suspicions  as  to  the] 
truth  about  the  attack  on  Old  Glory. 

He  was  passing  a  telegraph  office  when  the  sound  of  a  distBnt| 
steam  whist! .  came  to  his  ears. 


f^tlj- 


IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARI.ING  DOGS. 


39 


icky  num- 


r,  gravely, 

ick  toward 
atting  out 

to  put  on 
30  that  the 


I.  "When 
;n  you  can 
y,  hunt  up! 
choose. '  * 
for  a  profit- 
o  a  consid- 
;  but  Stokes 
ith  ai£  little  I 

to  various 
lition    and  i 

would  start 

contributed 
expedition^ 

^as  spent  in 

;eting  some 

some  other 

iS  as  to  the 

of  a  distant 


This  attracted  the  attention  of  everybody  in  his  vicinity,  and 
almost  immediately  ail  tCTvn  was  rushing  down  to  the  docks. 

The  arrival  ctf  a  steamboat  there  is  such  a  rare  event  that  when 
it  happens  everybody  turns  out  to  witness  it. 

Stokes  did  not  join  the  crowd  of  curiosity  seekers  at  once.  His 
attention  was  taken  by  Berkeley,  who  at  that  moment  came  from 
the  telegraph  office. 

His  face  showed  signs  of  great  excitement,  and  in  his  hand 
he  held,  crumpled,  a  slip  of  manilla  paper — undoubtedly  a  tele- 
gram he  had  just  received. 

'Tomething's  up  with  him,"  thought  Stokes,  and  he  crossed 
X\i .       'et  to  speak  to  Berkeley.  . 

;'i  .  had  nothing  special  to  say,  but  he  hoped  that  Berkeley 
woild  drop  into  conversation  and  so  give  up  some  hint  as  to 
whit  was  on  his  mind. 

Berkeley  saw  him  as  he  approached  and  instantly  his  face 
became  grave. 

He  thrust  the  telegram  into  a  pocket,  or  rather  he  tried  to  do 
so,  for  some  one  passing  at  the  moment  jostled  his  hand  and  the 
sKp  of  paper  fell  to  the  ground. 

Berkeley  apparently  did  not  notice  the  accident.  Stokes  quietly 
put  his  foot  upon  the  paper  and  said: 

"Have  you  j^oi  time  to  talk  about  that  mining  matter  now?" 

"You're  too  late,  my  man,"  was  the  contemptuous  response. 

"He  d^'etn'^  1'. ink  it  worth  while  to  mister  me  any  longer, " 
thought  Sokes,      'You've  got  your  stuff,  have  you?" 

"We're  am^i    sur  .'ied  with  capital,"  replied  Berkeley,  stiffly. 
'I  mentioned  tb  .  matter  to  you  simply  because  you  were  a  young 
man  and  I  thought  that  you  might  like  the  chance   of  getting 
rich  suddenly." 

"Tlianks,"  responded  Stokes,  dryly,  and  as  Berkeley  turned 
away  he  picked  up  the  telegram. 

It  wo;v  \  have  been  almost  impossible  to  avoid  seeing  what  wk« 
written  "i^tn  it,  even  if  he  had  not  tried  to  do  so.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  bo  .?^r,  vStokes  did  not  hesitate  to  read  tke  Message. 
It  said  simpiy : 

"Colonla  dus  to-day.    Go." 


40 


IN  A  PACK  OF  SNARLING  DOGS. 


There  was  no  signature,  but  the  message  was  addressed  to 
Berkeley. 

'  *  I  say,  Mr.  Berkeley, '  cried  Stokes,  running  after  the  man, 
•'isn't  this  yours?"     And  he  held  up  the  dispatch. 

"Lord  Harry,  yes!"  Berkeley  answered,  nervously  feeling  in 
his  pockets.     "Where  did  you  get  it?" 

"It  was  on  the  ground  near  where  you  were  standing.  I 
thought  it  must  be  that  you  had  dropped  it." 

Berkeley  took  f  2  dispatch,  eyeing  Stokes  suspiciously,  and 
then,  with  a  muttei  a  '  ank  you, ' '  he  turned  on  his  heels  and 
hurried  toward  the  doc . 

"Colonia  due  to-day,"  mused  Stokes.  "Now  what  does  that 
mean  ?    It's  probably  the  name  of  a  boat. 

"Gee  whiz!  Suppose  it  should  be  the  steamer  that  ju»t 
whistled  and  that  Berkeley  is  going  to  have  control  of  her!" 

This  thought  excited  him  very  considerably,  and  he  started 
for  the  docks,  hurrying  as  hard  as  any  of  the  rest. 

Stokes  had  told  nobooy  but  Fowler  of  his  suspicions  that  white 
men  had  been  the  attackers  at  Old  Gloiy. 

He  had  become  convinced  of  that  while  Fowler  had  been  tell- 
ing his  story  in  the  hotel  the  evening  before. 

He  had  also  felt  that  there  was  something  wrong  in  the  intense 
interest  displayed  in  the  story  by  the  Englishman  Slote. 

He  had  seen  Slote  leave  the  room  shortly  after  Fowler  opened 
his  belt  and  displayed  the  free  gold  that  he  carried  there. 

It  was  this  action  more  than  anything  else  that  had  led  Stokes 
to  shadow  Fowler  later  in  the  evening. 

He  had  succeeded  in  saving  fowler's  life,  but  he  was  not  cer- 
tain that  Slote  had  had  anything  to  do  with  the  attack;  never- 
theless, putting  together  such  circumstances  as  he  knew,  and 
Berkeley's  talk  about  a  rich  mine  up  the  river,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  think  that  Berkeley  and  Slote  were  aiming  to  get  pos- 
session of  Fowler's  property. 

He  believed,  also,  that  they  were  the  men  who  had  committed 
the  murder  there,  and  that  they  had  hired  the  two  rufiBans  to  gar- 
rote  himself. 

These  matters  were  all  pure  suspicion  with  him  up  to  this  time, 


IN  A  PACK  OF   SNARLING  DOGS. 


4i 


iBsed  to 

e   man, 

ling   in 

ling.     I 

sly,  and 

;els  and 

oes  that 

hat  juit 

;r!" 

e  started 

hat  white 

een   tell- 

e  intense 

r  opened 

d  Stokes 

not  cer- 
k;  never- 
new,  and 
was  com- 

get  pos- 

lommitted 
ins  to  gar- 

this  time, 


and  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  make  his  theory  hang  together 
but  he  clung  to  it  obstinately,  and  he  felt  that  if  the  steatner 
now  coming  into  port  should  be  one  in  which  Berkeley  was  inter- 
ested, the  fact  would  go  a  long  way  to  justify  his  suspicions. 

The  steamer,  a  small  affair,  very  much  like  a  harbor  tug  in 
appearance,  lay  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  dock  when  Stokes 
put  in  an  appearance. 

A  small  boat  had  put  out  from  her  and  was  now  coming 
ashore ;  and  then  he  saw  Berkeley  and  Slote  get  into  it  together, 
and  start  back  to  the  steamer  as  fast  as  the  boat  could  be  rowed ; 
then  Stokes  turned  about  and  hurried  to  the  hotel,  where  he 
expected  to  find  Fowler  and  the  other  men  who  had  promised  to 
join  the  expedition. 

Thinking  to  make  a  shortcut,  he  left  the  main  street  and 
started  along  a  winding  road,  on  which  the  houses  were  compara- 
tively scattered. 

The  dwellers  along  this  road  were  mostly  Indians  and  civilized 
Esquimaux. 

Ashe  was  passing  one  of  the  cabins  an  Esquimaux  came  to  the 
door  and  tossed  a  handful  of  bones  into  the  middle  of  the  road. 
They  were  instantly  seized  by  a  pack  of  shaggy  yelping  dogs, 
which  leaped  from  the  house  and  fought  and  wriggled  and  tugged 
against  each  oifier  for  possession  of  the  bones. 

Stokes,  who  at  the  moment  was  running  at  full  speed,  could 
not  turn  aside  before  one  of  the  dogs  had  run  full  tilt  against 
him,  with  the  result  that  he  fell  directly  in  the  middle  of  the 
yelping  pack. 

For  an  instant  the  brave  detective  who  had  faced  a  revolver 
without  flinching,  and  who  feared  nothing  that  a  man  could  do 
in  the  way  of  violence,  felt  a  terrible  glow  of  alarm. 

These  dogs  seemed  as  mad  and  savage  and  bloodthirsty  as 
wolves,  and  Stokes  confidently  believed  that  he  was  in  for  an 
encounter  that  would  cost  him  many  ugly  wounds,  if  it  did  not 
end  his  life. 

Two  or  three  dogs  that  he  struck  as  he  fell  leaped  aside,  bark- 
ing and  snarling  only  to  turn  upon  him  again. 

Stokss  half  rose  and  threw  out  his  left  arm,  thus  knocking  two 


42 


IN  A  PACK  OF   SNARLING  DOGS. 


of  the  dogs  end  over  and  backward,  while  with  the  other  hand  he 
brought  a  revolver  into  play. 

He  would  have  fired  at  the  nearest  dog  within  reach,  but  just  as 
he  was  about  to  pull  the  trigger  he  was  astonished  to  notice  that 
one  of  the  brutes,  whom  he  had  hit  in  his   fall,  was  licking  his 
.  hand. 

i     He  realized  from  this  instantly  that  the  animals  were  not 
i  unfriendly,  and  without  waiting  for  the  warning  word  of   the 
Esquimau,  who  shouted  in  alarm  when  the  stranger  fell  into  the 
pack,  he  put  up  his  weapon. 

By  the  time  the  revolver  was  again  in  his  pocket  the  dogs  were 
leaping  playfully  upon  Stokes,  trying  to  lick  his  face,  and  in 
various  other  ways  showing  their  friendly  disposition. 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  getting  on  his  feet,  "if  I  could  get  out  of! 
all  scrapes  as  easily  as  I  have  out  of  this  one,  I   shouldn't  have 
any  trouble;  I  thought  I  was  going  to  be  eaten  up,"  he  added  to| 
the  Esquimau  who  had  strode  forward  to  drive  the  dogs  away. 

"Doits  play— play  like  babees, "  the  Esquimau  said,  with   a| 
gria. 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FA1L«». 


43 


er  hand  lie 


but  just  as 
lotice  that 
ickiiig  his 

3  were  not 
ord  of  the 
ill  into  the 

e  dogs  were 
ace,  and  in 

• 

d  get  out  of , 
didn't  have 
he  added  to 
igs  away, 
aid,  with   a 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  PRKSCRIPTION   THAT  FAII^ED. 

Stokes  went  on  to  the  hotel  and  found  Fowler  and  his  men 
taking  tljings  t  sily. 

"  Pardner, "  said  the  detective,  leading  Fowler  a  little  to  one 
side,  "is  the  Frozen  Spray  ready?"     . 

"Thunderation!  Stokes,"  Fowler  exclaimed,  "what  do  you 
expect?  I  don't  s'pose  the  stuff  is  any  more  than  put  on  the  drays 
at  the  stores." 

"Well,  it  ought  to  be  aboard  now,"  Stokes  declared. 

"Now  look  yere, "  exclaimed  Fowler,  "I'm  jest  es  anxious 
about  thet  thar  mine  es  you  be,  but  I  don't  see  any  reason  for 
sech  all-fired  huiry. " 

"Well,  I  do, "  responded  Stokes.  "Do  you  know  that  there  Is 
a  steamer  in  port?" 

"I  heerd  the  whistle,"  Fowler  admitted. 

"Well,  I  don't  want  it  to  go  any  farther,  for  I  don't  want  my 
suspicions  to  be  known  outside  our  party,  or  in  it  any  more  than 
is  necessary,  but  you've  got  to  race  with  that  steamer  to  get  to 
Old  Glory  first." 

"You  don't  say  so!" 

"I  do,  and  I  mean  it.  I've  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the 
Colonia — that's  the  steamer's  name — will  sail  from  this  port  to 
take  possession  of  your  mine. " 

"How  in  creation  hev  you  found  thet  all  out?" 

"Never  you  mind  how.  But  get  your  men  together  and  take 
them  to  the  stores  with  you  and  hustle  everything  on  board  as 
fast  as  you  can,  then  keep  your  men  there  and  wait  for  me. ' ' 

"The  Frozen  Spray  can't  beat  a  steamboat,"  gasped  Fowler,  in 
despair.  ^ 

"It  would  be  a  bad  handicap,  I  'low,"  Stokes  responded,  "but 


44 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  PAILBD. 


something  may  happen ;  if  the  Colonia  don't  put  out  this   sfter- 
noon  I  think  we'll  get  along. 

•'You  must  have  everything  ready  to  start  by  nightfall." 

"We  couldn't  find  our  course  by  night,"  protested  Fowler.  "I 
ain't  no  sailor,  an'  it  will  be  all  I  can  do  to  make  the  course  out 
by  daylight." 

Stokes  grunted  impatiently. 

"Then  we'll  hev  to  start  at  daybreak,"  he  said.  "But  you 
must  be  ready  to  sail  this  evening. " 

Without  any  further  words  the  detective  returned  to  the  dock, 
where  he  spent  -the  next  hour  or  two  in  watching  movements  on 
board  the  Colonia. 

There  was  little  to  be  seen.  She  evidently  had  more  men  on 
board  than  would  be  necessary  for  a  crew,  but  all  told,  they  did 
not  number  as  many  as  Fowler's  party,  though  that  fact  seemed 
of  little  importance  to  Stokes. 

What  interested  him  more  was  the  fact  that  the  vessel  was  said 
to  be  on  an  exploring  trip  and  that  she  had  stopped  for  coal  and 
provisions. 

Berkelt  came  on  shore  before  Stokes  left  the  docks,  and  took 
pains  to  aunounce  that  the  Colonia  had  friends  of  his  on  board 
who  were  going  to  look  around  for  gold,  and  that  quite  likely  he 
should  join  them. 

"When  is  she  going  to  leave?"  asked  Stokes,  indifferently. 

"To-morrow  morning,"  replied  Berkeley. 

This  satisfied  Stokes,  and  he  was  about  to  withdraw,  when 
Berkeley  said  suddenly : 

"What  did  you  ask  for?" 

"Oh!"  replied  the  other,  "I  was  wondering  if  you  wouldn't 
like  to  have  me  join  them. " 

Berkeley  smiled  sarcastically. 

"You'reAhe  kind  of  fellow,"  he  said,  "who  likes  to  gamble 
on  a  sure  thing,  aren't  you?" 

"I'd  like  to  go  aboard  the  Colonia,"  admitted  Stokes. 

"I'm  afraid  you're  too  late,"  and  with  this  Berkeley  went  up 
into  the  city.  f 

Stokes  hung  around  long  snougli  to  see  that  what  Berkeley  had 


self 


it' 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT, FAILED. 


45 


after- 


er.    "I 
irae  out 


But  you 

e  dock, 
lents  on 

men  on 
they  did 
t  seemed 

was  said 
coal   and 

and  took 

on   board 

likely  he 

rently. 

aw,  when 

wouldn't 

o  gamble 

s. 
went  up 

keley  had 


said  was  true  so  far  as  stocking  the  boat  with   prorisiout  was 
concerned. 

It  was  evident  that  a  good  many  articles  besides  provisions 
were  being  put  on  board,  and  that  there  was  some  hurry  about 
it;  however,  he  was  not  anxious  when,  as  night  came  on,  he 
saw  that  Berkeley  and  several  of  the  men  who  had  come  to  port 
on  the  Colonia  were  arranging  to  spend  the  evening  on  shore. 

Indeed,  it  seemed  to  be  their  plan  to  make  a  night  of  it,  for 
late  in  the  evening  they  were  still  gathered  around  a  table  iu  the 
private  room  of  a  bar  drinking  freely. 

"If  there  is  any  way  to  do  it, "  said  Stokes  to  himself,  "I 
would  like  to  make  certain  that  these  fellows  are  playing  just  the 
kind  of  game  that  I  think  they  are. 

' '  It  would  surprise  me  if  it  should  prove  that  after  all  they 
have  nothing  to  do  with  Fowler's  mine,  and  yet  that  thing  is  pos- 
sible. 

"I  wish  old  Berkeley  still  had  a  notion  that  he  would  like  to 
have  me  invest  in  his  scheme.  If  that  was  the  case  I  might  be 
in  there  with  them  now  and  piping  off  all  their  plans." 

Stokes  wondered  if  it  would  not  be  worth  while  to  go  boldly 
to  the  private  room  where  Berkeley  and  his  friends  were  passing 
the  evening,  and  try  to  get  admittance  on  the  plea  that  he  was 
eager  to  put  a  lot  of  money  in  a  mining  venture. 

A  little  thought  convinced  him  that  this  would  not  do. 

Berkeley  already  seemed  to  be  a  little  suspicious  of  him,  and 
Stokes  previously  had  been  so  shy  about  mining  talk  that  it 
would  arouse  suspicion  more  than  ever  now  to  try  any  such 
device. 

"There's  more  than  one  way  to  skin  a  cat,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, suddenly. 

With  this  he  set  off  down  the  street  until  he  came  to  a  drug 
store;  he  entered  there  and  bought  various  articles  such  as  face 
powder,  rouge,  a  hare's  foot,  in  fact  a  complete  set  of  make-up. 

" This  is  pretty  poor  stuff  for  making  up  with,"  he  thought, 
"but  it  is  the  best  I  can  do  under  the  circumstanced,  and  I  reckon 
it'll  be  good  eaovt^.** 


46 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED. 


When  these  had  been  wrapped  up  Stokes  called  for  another 
article.     The  drug  clerk  opened  his  eyes. 

"What  do  you  want  it  for?"  he  asked. 

"I  reckon  that's  my  business,  pardner, "  Stokes  answered,  good 
humoredly. 

"I  reckon  it  is,  too,"  responded  the  clerk,  "but  when  it  comes 
to  poisons  it's  our  business  also." 

"You  don't  call  that  stuff  a  poison,  do  you?"  Stokes  asked. 

"  Of  course  we  do ;  if  you  should  take  enough  of  it,  it  would 
kill  you." 

"I  'low  that, "  said  Stokes,  "but  if  I  should  take  enough 
whisky  it  would  kill  me,  too,  wouldn't  it?" 

"Cert." 

"Well,  I  don't  propose  to  do  that,  either." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it." 

"Then  you'll  let  me  have  the  stuff,  won't  you?" 

The  clerk  shook  his  head. 

"Not  without  a  prescription,"  he  said. 

Stokes  argued  and  begged  in  vain. 

The  clerk  knew  what  his  customer  asked  was  against  the  law, 
and  he  could  not  be  persuaded  or  bribed  to  sell  the  article. 

Stokes  accordingly  left  the  store  considerably  disappointed; 
but  with  characteristic  energy  he  set  about  finding  a  way  to 
obtain  the  stuff  he  wanted. 

He  hurried  back  to  the  hotel,  made  certain  that  the  men  that 
he  was  interested  in  were  still  there,  and  then  went  out  to  the 
house  of  a  physician  with  whom  he  was  acquainted. 

"Well,  what  can  I  do  for  you?"  asked  the  physician,  pleas- 
antly. 

"  I  want  a  prescription  put  up. " 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"Oh,  nothing  is  the  matter  with  m«,  but  I  want  this  >o  quiet 
the  nerves  of  a  fellow  that  I'm  interested  in." 

' '  What's  the  stuff  you're  after  ?' ' 

Stokes  told  him. 

"That's  dangerous  stuff,"  the  physician  said. 

"Ikn^wall  about  it,"  Stokes  replied,   confidently,  "and  I 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED. 


47 


wouldn't  for  an  instant  take  any  risk  with  it.     A  few  drops  will 
do  for  him. ' ' 

The  physician  looked  at  the  detective  earnestly  for  a  moment, 
then  took  a  pad  of  paper  from  his  pocket,  wrote  something  upon 
it  and  handed  over  the  leaf,  remarking : 

"If  it  was  anybody  else  I  wouldn't  do  this,  but  I  think  I  know 
you  well  enough  to  believe  that  nothing  worse  will  come  of  it 
than  innocent  mischief. ' ' 

"That's  right,  doc,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  cheerfully,  and  he 
hurried  away  for  fear  the  physician  might  change  his  mind  and 
take  back  the  prescription. 

He  returned  at  once  to  the  drug  store,  where  the  clerk 
promptly  put  up  the  article  desired. 

It  amounted  to  but  a  few  drops  of  liquid,  all  contained  in  a 
tiny  bottle  that  could  be  carried  in  the  vest  pocket. 

With  this  Stokes  returned  to  the  hotel,  where  he  sought  out 
the  proprietor,  with  whom  he  was  very  well  acquainted. 

They  held  a  whispered  consultation,  in  the  course  of  which 
Stokes  dropped  a  handful  of  gold  coins  into  the  proprietor's 
purse. 

Then  Stokes  went  to  a  wash-room  and  worked  upon  his  face 
and  hands  with  the  toilet  articles  that  he  had  bought  at  the  drug 
store. 

With  the  aid  of  some  shabby  clothing  that  he  borrowed  from 
one  of  the  Esquimau  employees  of  the  house,  he  transformed 
himself  soon  into  a  very  fair  imitation  of  a  native. 

He  had  no  wig,  but  he  made  up  for  this  by  brushing  his  hair 
the  wrong  way  and  by  coloring  it  liberally  with  a  dark  powder. 

Thus  made  up,  he  showed  himself  to  the  proprietor;  the  latter 
looked  him  over  critically  and  exclaimed : 

"By  gum!  young  fellow,  your  own  mother  wouldn't  know 
you. ' ' 

"Then  I  shall  get  along,"  Stokes  responded, 

"I  don't  know  about  that, "  was  the  reply.  "They've  got 
bottles  in  there  and  aren't  sending  out  for  anything. 

"What  excuse  will  you  have  for  going  in?" 

"Leave  that  to  me." 


48 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED, 


With  this  Stokes  turned  away  and  went  to  the  room  where 
Berkeley  and  his  companions  were  seated. 

As  he  approached  the  door  he  noticed  that  a  voice  within  was 
speaking  in  a  high  tone, 

"Sounds  as  if  there  was  a  row  coming,"  he  said  to  himself. 

He  paused  for  a  moment  outside  the  door  to  listen. 

"Thar's  get  to  be  a  square  diviav^  as  the  Americans  say,  or  I 
don't  go  any  farther.  ** 

These  words  came  distinctly,  as  well  as  the  response,  in  which 
Stokes  recognized  Berkeley's  voice. 

"The  divide  ^,111  be  square  enough,  so  what's  the  use  of  get- 
ting hot  about  it?" 

"Well,  but  how  are  we  goin'  to  know  thet  thar  ain't  no  trick 
bein'  put  up?" 

Stokes  would  have  liked  to  hear  the  answer  to  this  question, 
but  just  at  this  moment  some  one  approached  rapidly  along  the 
corridor,  and  rather  than  be  caught  in  the  act  of  listening,  he 
opened  the  door  of  the  room  and  stepped  boldly  in. 

The  men  looked  up  in  surprise  and  anger. 

"What  the "  began  one  of  them. 

"You  ring?"  Stokes  inquired,  smiling,  using  the  characteris- 
tic accent  of  the  Esquimau. 

"Ni  >,  we  didn't  ring.     What  are  you  here  for?" 
This  was  spoken  by  the  man  who  had  evidently  been  insisting 
upon  the  square  divide. 

"Me  thought  you  ring — want  whisky — somethin',"  Stokes 
answered. 

"He's  one  of  the  ignorant  servants  employed  in  the  hotel, " 
said  Berkeley  to  his  companions.  Then,  turning  to  Stokes,  he 
added : 

"We  don't  want  anything,  my  man;  you  can  go." 

"Me  go?"  Stokes  repeated,  and  he  looked  with  a  grin  at  the 
bottles  on  the  tables. 

One  of  the  men  in  the  party  saw  this  glance  and  gave  it  just 
the  meaning  that  Stokes  desired. 

"Tke   Esquimau  means   well,"    this   fellow  taid,  "unless    it 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED. 


49 


m  where 
thin  was 
tnself, 
;ay,  or  I 
in  which 
;  of  get- 
no   trick 

question, 
long  the 
niing,  he 


aracteris- 

insisting 

"   Stokes 

lehottl," 
tokes,   he 

in  at  the 
ve  it  just 

unless    it 


happens  that  he  came  in  just  for  the  sake  of  getting  a  drink;  if 
he  did  he  deserves  one  for  his  boldness. 

' '  Step  up,  you  son  of  the  snows ! 

"Step  up  and  take  something." 

' '  Me  much  obliged, ' '  Stokes  responded  promptly,  making  for 
the  bottle. 

"Fill  him  up  and  have  some  fun  with  him,"  remarked  another 
the  party. 

All  but  Berkeley  and  the  one  who  had  been  insisting  on  a 
square  divide,  seemed  to  think  that  this  was  a  good  thing  to  do, 
and  they  gathered  round  Stokes,  laughing  and  nudging  each 
other  as  if  they  anticipated  a  good  deal  of  amusement. 

" Have  done  with  the  nonsense  as  soon  as  possible,  "growled 
Beikeley. 

"Oh,  go  on.  We've  got  all  night  before  us, "  exclaimed  one  of 
his  companions. 

Stokes  played  his  part  to  perfection. 

1e  got  the  whole  crowd  laughing  by  his  clumsiness  and  prt- 
tended  eagerness  in  pouring  him.self  a  drink. 

When  he  had  drained  the  glass  he  smacked  his  lips,  took  up 
the  bottle,  and  said : 

"Me  go  now;  take  this  for  company." 

".No,  you  don't,"  cried  one  of  the  men.  "We  want  that  sort  of 
company  for  ourselves. ' ' 

The  man  attempted  to  take  the  bottle  away  from  Stokes,  who 
resisted  for  a  moment ;  it  was  a  good-natured  struggle  and  lasted 
but  a  short  time,  but  in  the  course  of  it  Stokes  managed  to  empty 
the  contents  of  his  bottle  into  the  liquor  flask. 

"If  that  don't  p^t  them  to  sleep, "  he  said  to  himself,  "then 
I'm  mistaken,  or  something  was  wrong  with  the  prescription." 

When  the  little  struggle  was  over  and  the  men  returned  to  the 
table,  laughing  and  joking,  Stokes  stood  near  the  door,  still 
grinning,  as  if  he  wanted  another  invitation  to  drink. 

"Go  Out,  now,"  commanded  Berkeley. 

"Oh,  let  him  stay, "  said  one  of  the  men.  "He  don't  know 
enough  to  be  of  any  harm. " 

"Me  like  whisky,"  remarked  Stokes,  pleadingly. 


■■I 


50 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED. 


He  really  did  not  care  much  whether  he  remained  longer,  for 
if  only  the  men  would  all  take  a  drink  from  the  doctored  bottle 
he  was  quite  certain  that  they  would  become  too  sleepy  to  leave 
the  place  for  many  hours,  and  for  himself,  he  had  no  desire  to 
risk  any  such  effect. 

Stokes  had  other  work  to  do. 

Serkeley  and  the  chief  speaker  in  the  party  would  not  consent 
to  the  supposed  Esquimau's  remaining,  and  accordingly  Stokes 
was  hustled  oui  of  the  room,  but  as  he  went  he  saw  to  his  satis- 
faction that  every  man  in  the  party  v^as  preparing  to  drink  from 
the  doctored  flask. 

Much  pleased  with  the  success  of  his  adventure,  Stokes 
returned  to  the  wash  room  and  removed  the  disguise,  and  then 
before  leaving  the  hotel  he  passed  once  more  through  the  corri- 
dor on  which  was  the  room  occupied  by  Berkeley  and  his  com- 
panions. 

To  his  infiuite  surprise  the  sounds  of  talking  within  were 
louder  than  ever. 

"That  doesn'i  sound  like  going  to  sleep,"  bethought.  "What 
can  it  mean  ?' ' 

As  he  listened  he  heard  plenty  of  disputing  as  to  the  terms  of 
a  divide,  but  what  was  to  be  divided  he  could  not  make  out. 

"I  think  I  can  see  one  thing,"  he  said  to  himself  after  a, while; 
"that  doctor  did  not  give  me  a  prescription  for  the  stuflf  I  asked 
for;  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  clerk  gave  me  plain  w'lter  or  some- 
thing equally  liarmless. ' ' 

Long  aflerward  Stokes  found  that  this  was  tbf:  cast.  The  doc- 
tor had  not  dared  to  give  him  an  order  for  the  drug  which  he 
desired. 

For  the  moment  it  was  enough  for  Stokes  to  know  that  the 
drug  was  not  doing  its  work,  and  he  felt  that  he  must  hear  more 
of  that  conversation  than  could  be  heard  by  lingering  in  the  hall, 
where  at  any  moment  he  might  be  interrupted. 

While  he  was  in  the  room  he  had  noticed  that,  like  most 
Alaskan  buildings,  it  was  heated  by  a  huge  fireplace. 

A  fire  had  been  burning  there  earlier  in  the  evening,  but  it 
was  out  now. 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FA-r.ED. 


Sr 


nger,  for 
id  bottle 
to  leave 
desire  to 


t  consent 
ly  Stokes 
his  satis- 
ink  from 

re,  Stokes 
and  then 
the  corri- 
his  corn- 
thin  were 
It.  "What 

5  terms  of 
e  out. 
er  a, while; 
iflp I    asked 
er  or  some- 

The  doc- 
jr  which  he 

w  that  the 
hear  more 
in  the  hall, 

,  like  most 

ding,  but  it 


It  seemed  to  give  him  a  way  to  be  present  at  the  meeting  of  the 
party  without  being  seen  by  them. 

He  made  his  way  to  the  roof  and  so  to  the  chimney  that  went 
straight  down  to  the  room  where  Berkeley  and  his  friends  sat. 

The  chimney  was  big  enough  to  allow  him  to  go  down  easily. 
It  was  not  built  of  brick  excepting  at  the  very  top  part,  but  of 
roughly-hewn  stone. 

It  was  not  a  very  difficult  task,  therefore,  for  such  an  athlete 
as  he  was  to  make  his  way  down  until  he  was  just  over  the  fire- 
place, where  he  paused  with  his  knees  and  elbows  resting  against 
projecting  stones. 

It  was  still  rather  hot  there,  but  Stokes  did  not  mind  that,  for 
the  position  enabled  him  to  l;iear  everything  tlir-t  was  going  on. 
Indeed,  he  had  heard  everything  from  the  time  he  had  entered 
the  chimney ;  but  not  one  wcrd  as  yet  had  been  ij ttercd  to  show 
exactly  what  business  it  was  that  brought  Berkeley  and  the  men 
from  the  Colonia  together. 

That  they  were  having  a  lively  dispute  was  clear  as  day. 

"You  fellows  ought  to  have  confidence  in  me,"  Berkeley  was 
saying  just  as  Stokes  came  to  rest  near  the  top  of  the  fireplace. 

"Confidence  be  durned!"  retorted  a  voice  almost,  it  seemed, 
btneath  the  listener.     "I  hain't  got  confidence  in  nobody." 

"You  haven't,  hey?" 

"No." 

"Well,  that  don't  maiter,  anyhow— you're  no  good!" 

"No  good,  am  I?" 

"You  ain't  worth  a  nail  in  an  Esquimau's  coflSn." 

"Don't  talk  that  way  to  me — I'll  dance  on  the  graves  of  every 
one  of  you " 

"Oh,  shut  up  I" 

These  quarrelsome  remarks  had  been  exchanged  in  highvo  :c« 
and  very  rapidly;  at  last  there  was  a  sound  of  a  blow.  It  was 
followed  by  one  of  .the  men  staggering  against  the  fireplace  vio- 
lently. 

He  came  up  against  the  wall  with  such  force,  in  fact,  that  the 
stone  upon  which  one  of  the  detective's  knees  was  resting 
dropped,  aaA  Stokes,  losing  his  support  thus  uuexpoctedly.  was 


5« 


A  PRESCRIPTION  THAT  FAILED. 


tumbled  into  the  fireplace  in  full  view  of  Berkeley  and  all  the 
others. 

The  ashes  from  the  wood  fire  that  had  been  burning  there  were 
stirred  up  in  a  dense  cloud  by  his  falling,  so  that  he  was  for  just 
an  instant  obscured  from  /iew  and  the  surprise  of  the  party  was 
so  great  that  they  probably  would  not  have  recognized  him  even 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  ashes. 

Stokes  knew  that  it  would  not  do  to  be  recognized. 

His  thoughts  were  like  lightning  flashes  and  his  actions  equally 
quick. 

Before  the  cloud  of  ashes  had  more  than  risen,  Stokes  threw  up 
his  hands,  caught  his  revolvers  just  as  he  had  done  in  his  adven- 
ture with  the  garroters,  and  fired  both  simultaneously  at  the  two 
lamps  by  which  the  room  was  lighted. 

The  bullets  not  only  shattered  the  cL:mneys,  but  cut  the  wicks, 
this  putting  out  the  lights,  and  the  place  was  in  absolute  dark- 
ness. 

The  wildest  confusion  ensued,  of  course,  and  long  before  it  had 
quieted  down  and  new  lights  had  been  struck,  Stokes  was  out  of 
the  room  and,  in  fact,  out  of  the  building. 

He  hung  around  outside  for  a  few  moments  until  he  was  satis- 
fied that  Berkeley  and  his  companions  had  decided  to  remain 
there  for  further  discussion. 

Then  he  gave  up  any  attempt  to  listen  to  their  proceedings, 
and  started  off  to  execute  a  plan  he  had  made  for  checkmating 
the  Englishman  if  other  plans  should  fail. 

It  was  a  bold,  even,  dangerous  derice,  but  be  was  determined  to 
attempt  it. 

"More  than  half  of  Berkeley's  gang,"  he  said  to  himself,  "are 
now  on  shore,  and  if  only  those  on  board — well,  I'll  go  out  to 
the  Colonia  and  see." 


HANDICAPPING  A  »TBAMER. 


53 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HANDICAPPING   A  STEAMER. 

He  went  directly  to  the  dock  at  which  the  Frozen  Spray  was 
moored  and  whistled  to  the  skipper. 

It  was  a  signal  that  had  been  arranged  beforehand,  and  in 
response  to  it  a  small  boat  put  off  from  the  schooner  and  took 
Stokes  on  board. 

Most  of  the  men  of  Fowler's  expedition  were  at  that  time 
asleep. 

"You're  not  going  to  try  to  start  now,  Stokes,  be  ye?"  said 
Fowler. 

"No,"  he  replied. 

Stokes  was  in  a  rowboat  alongside.  He  told  the  sailor  who 
had  rowed  him  from  shore  to  go  on  board. 

"What's  up  now,  Stokes?"  whispered  Fowler. 

"I'm  going  to  try  to  fix  the  handicap  for  this  race  so  .at  it 
will  be  in  our  favor, ' '  Stokes  replied. 

He  did  not  stop  to  explain  himself  further,  but  rowed  away  in 
the  darkness. 

It  was  at  least  half  a  mile  from  that  place  to  the  spot  in  the 
harbor  where  the  Colonia  was  anchored. 

There  was  so  little  shipping  there  that  Stokes  had  no  diflBculty 
in  locating  the  steamer  by  her  lights. 

When  he  came  near  enough  to  distinguish  objects  on  the  deck, 
he  rowed  completely  around  the  boat  and  saw  no  sign  of  any 
human  being,  unless  possibly  an  irregular  object  near  the  bow 
might  be  that  of  a  man  asleep. 

Stokes  rowed  his  boat  to  the  stern  and  made  it  fast  to  a  cleat 
on  the  top  of  the  rail. 

The  steamer  lay  so  low  in  the  water  that  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  climbing  on  board. 


54 


HANDICAPPING  A  STEAMER. 


i 


It  was  not  possible  to  do  this  without  making  some  noise  about 
it,  and  when  he  was  once  on  the  deck  he  lay  flat  down  anA 
remained  motionless  for  a  moment  to  learn  whether  his  coming 
had  attracted  attention.     Nobody  stiu^d. 

From  the  partly-opened  door  of  the  gangway  leading  to  the 
cabin  came  the  sound  of  snoring,  to  show  that  at  least  one  person 
was  on  board ;  whether  that  irregular  object  near  the  prow  was 
a  watchman  who  had  fallen  asleep  could  only  be  guessed,  and  in 
any  event,  the  risk  of  wakitig  him  must  be  taken. 

Stokes  arose,  and  crouching  as  he  went,  made  his  way  to  a 
spot  about  'midships,  where  there  was  a  narrow  opening  that  led 
to  the  engine-room. 

He  stepped  through  this  upon  an  iron  grating,  and  again  stood 
still  to  listen. 

All  he  could  hear  was  the  very  slight  sound  that  always  accom- 
panies steam  machinery  when  the  fires  are  low. 

Satisfied  thus  far  that  he  had  aroused  nobody,  the  young  fel> 
low  took  a  dark  lantern  from  his  pocket  which  was  already 
lighted,  drew  the  slide,  and  shot  the  rays  carefully  below  and 
around  him. 

He  saw  that  the  grating  on  which  he  stood  was  merely  a  plat- 
form, and  if  he  had  taken  one  step  farther  he  would  have  dropped 
six  feet  downward  to  another  platform  which  was  evidently  the 
place  where  the  engineer  stood  while  on  duty. 

An  iron  ladder  led  straight  down  to  this  spot. 

Stokes  closed  his  lantern,  dropped  upon  his  knees  and 
descended  the  ladder. 

Once  upon  €be  lower  platform,  he  set  the  lantei  n  so  that  its  rays 
would  not  reach  the  door  to  the  upper  deck,  and  took  three  or 
four  articles  from  his  pocket. 

One  was  a  small  oil  can  and  another  ^^as  a  tiny,  but  very 
strong  steel  saw. 

He  laid  these  on  the  platform  and  then  began  to  inspect  the 
machinery. 

He  found  to  his  satisfaction  that  the  device  for  tuminj!;  on  and 
shutting  off  the  steap)  C9nsi8ted  of  a  tbree>%uarter-inch  iron  rod 


HANDICAPPING  A  STEAMER. 


55 


projecting  from  the  side  of  the  engine  wall,  and  ending  In  a  small 
wheel  with  a  handle  on  its  rim. 

This  suited  his  purpose  much  better  than  if  the  starting  appa- 
ratus had  been  a  lever,  as  is  the  case  in  some  steamboats. 

He  did  not  touch  the  wheel  at  first.  He  scanned  the  engine 
very  attentively  for  a  full  minute  to  satisfy  himself  that  there  was 
no  mistake  about  it.     He  was  suie  he  was  right. 

He  knew  that  if  that  wheel  should  be  turned  from  right  to  left 
the  engine  would  be  started  and  the  boat  would  go  ahead. 

A  lever  at  the  side  of  the  room  was  evidently  used  to  reverse 
the  current  of  steam. 

Having  made  up  his  mind  that  he  could  not  be  mistaken, 
Stokes  poured  a  quantity  of  oil  upon  the  iron  rod  close  to  the 
engine  wall ;  then  he  applied  his  steel  saw  to  the  rod  and  began 
to  cut  it  off  as  close  to  the  wall  as  he  could  get  it. 

In  spite  of  all  his  care,  the  saw  made  a  noise  that  seemed  to 
him  was  sufficient  to  wake  up  all  the  inhabitants  on  shove. 

He  dared  not  work  fast,  and  yet  he  dared  not  lose  time,  so  he 
stood  with  the  oil  can  in  one  hand  constantly  dripping  oil  upon 
the  rod,  while  with  the  other  he  plied  the  saw. 

This  kept  the  noise  down  as  much  as  was  possible,  and  so  min- 
ute after  minute  he  worked  away,  pausing  only  when  the  strain 
of  holding  his  arms  in  one  position  became  impossible  to  bear 
longer. 

There  is  no  telling  how  long  it  took  him  to  cut  off  this  bar;  it 
seemed  hours  to  him,  but  as  the  iron  was  not  tempered  metal  and 
as  the  saw  was  of  the  finest  workmanship,  it  is  hardly  likely 
that  he  spent  more  than  one  hour  altogether  with  the  task. 

The  job  was  finally  done,  and  as  he  looked  at  the  engine  wall 
and  held  the  starting  wheel  in  his  hand,  he  said  to  himself: 

"Now,  then,  there  is  only  about  half  a  pound  of  iron  that  I'm 
go:ng  to  take  away  from  this  craft,  but  it  strikes  me  that  it  will 
takt  a  long  time  to  fix  a  handle  on  to  that  starting  rod  that  will 
make  the  boat  go,  and  even  if  they  are  able  to  make  it  go  at 
once,  which  they  might  by  drilling  a  hole  and  putting  a  tpike 
into  it,  they  would  not  dare  put  to  sea  unless  their  startinf  (ear 
was  in  perfect  order. " 


56 


HANDICAPPING  A  STEAMER. 


He  replaced  his  tools  and  put  the  iron  wheel  in  his  pocket  with 
them. 

Then  he  closed  the  lantern,  cautiously  mounted  the  ladder, 
and  emerged  upon  the  upper  deck. 

As  he  did  so  he  glanced  forward  and  dimly  saw  the  huddled- 
up  figure  that  he  had  observed  before  rise  and  stretch  its  arms. 

"Hope  he's  had  a  nice  nap,"  thought  Stokes,  with  an  inward 
laugh. 

He  crept  along  the  rail  to  the  stern  and  was  about  to  let  him- 
self down  into  his  rowboat,  when  the  light  motion  of  the  boat 
upon  the  waves  caused  the  rudder  chain  to  rattle.  This  gave 
Stokes  a  new  idea. 

His  sense  of  triumph  in  damaging  the  engine  was  so  great  that 
it  struck  him  that  it  would  be  a  splendid  thing  to  wind  up  the 
job  by  disabling  the  rudder. 

He  felt  along  the  inner  edge  of  the  rail  until  he  found  the  rud- 
der chain,  and  then  with  his  fingers  examined  it  for  the  space  of 
a  foot  or  two,  trying  to  discover  some  way  by  which  he  could 
break  it  readily. 

He  had  an  open  pocket  knife  in  his  hand,  for  he  thought  there 
might  be  a  possibility  of  prying  open   a  link  somewhere. 

Suddenly  he  was  startled  by  a  harsh  voice  demanding: 

"Who's  there?" 

Stokes  had  attempted  just  one  thing  too  much. 

He  should  have  been  satisfied  with  spoiling  the  engine. 

The  brief  period  that  he  had  spent  in  examining  the  chain  had 
given  the  watchman  forward  time  to  wake  up  thoroughly  and 
come  aft  on  a  tour  of  inspection. 

Stokes  realized  instantly  that  lie  had  overdone  the  thing,  and 
that  the  Colonia  was  no  longer  any  place  for  him. 

With  his  open  knife  he  slashed  the  cord  that  bound  his  row- 
boat  to  the  steamer  and  leaped  over  the  rail. 

As  he  went  he  heard  the  report  of  a  revolver  from  the  deck. 

The  watchman  had  fired  at  him. 

The  detective's  feet  struck  the  gunwale  of  the  rowboat,  and  the 
result  was  that  instead  of  landing  in  it  he  tipped  the  boat  bottom 
up  and  himself  disappeared  beneath  it. 


FOWIvER  TRIES  VO  PI^AY  PILOT. 


57 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

I'OWI.RR  TRIBS  TO  PLAY   PII,OT. 

The  watchman's  shot  aroused  all  on  board  the  Colonia,  and 
in  half  a  minute  later  the  deck  was  wild  with  excitement. 

There  were  only  three  or  four  men  there,  to  be  sure,  but  they 
were  tremendously  stirred  up,  and  they  peered  over  the  taflFrail  in 
vain  endeavors  to  get  sight  of  the  strangei  ./ho  had  leaped  over- 
board at  the  challenge  of  the  watchman. 

"He  must  just  have  come  on  board,"  the  latter  exclaimed, 
"for  I  was  making  my  round  when  I  seen  him  leaning  beside 
the  rail." 

There  was  no  reason  to  doubt  the  watchman's  word,  and  as  the 
others  on  board  supposed  that  he  had  been  awake  all  through 
his  turn  of  duty,  there  was  little  attempt  made  to  discover  whether 
the  stranger  had  done  any  mischief. 

It  was  naturally  supposed  that  the  unknown  man  had  come  on 
board  for  the  purpose  of  robbery. 

The  men  found  that  nothing  had  been  disturbed  in  the  cabin  or 
the  wheel  house,  and  that  nothing  had  disappeared  from  the  deck. 

No  one  thought  of  going  to  the  engine-room. 

One  of  the  Colonia's  boats  was  then  on  shore,  waiting  for 
lierkeley  and  the  others  to  finish  their  session  at  the  hotel. 

The  other  boat  was  lowered  and  a  couple  of  men  rowed  out  to 
the  rowboat  Stokes  had  used. 

It  could  be  seen  dimly  in  the  darkness,  floating  swa^  upon  the 
tide. 

No  sound  came  from  that  direction,  but  the  lapping  of  the 
waves  against  the  steamer's  side  made  the  men  on  board  tliink 
thvy  heard  somebody  struggling  in  the  water  not  far  away. 

"Look  sharp!"  they  cried  to  the  two  in  the  searching  boat; 


58 


FOWLEB  TRIES  TO  PLAY  PILOT. 


"anybody  that's  desperate  enough  to  board  the  Colonia  at  nlfbt 
won't  hesitate  to  shoot  ye!" 

The  men  stopped  rowing  for  an  instant  and  peered  forward  into 
the  darkness. 

They  could  see  nothing  but  a  bulky  object  upon  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

"His  boat  has  upset,"  said  one  of  them,  "and  it's  lying  there 
bottom  up. '  * 

"Look  out  that  he  ain't  behind  it,"  came  the  warning  from 
the  Colonia' s  deck. 

The  searchers  rowed  cautiously,  therefore,  and  one  of  them 
fired  a  revolver  so  that  the  bullet  split  a  splinter  from  the  keel  of 
the  detective's  boat. 

The  shot  brought  out  no  reply,  and  the  men  then  advanced  to 
the  upturned  boat,  made  fast  to  it,  and  towed  it  to  the  Colonia. 

Then  it  was  hauled  on  deck  and  examined. 

Nothing  about  it  then  indicated  the  owner  or  what  had  become 
of  him. 

Next  morning  they  discovered  marks  upon  it  to  show  that  it 
belonged  to  the  Frozen  Spray,  but  by  that  time  the  discovery  was 
of  no  use  to  them. 

It  was  about  the  same  time  that  the  engineer  found  that  it  was 
impossible  to  start  the  machinery. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  a  man  of  Stoke 's  character  and 
experience  would  be  seriously  troubled  by  a  ducking. 

The  men  on  board  the  Colonia  believed  that  he  had  been  killed 
by  the  watchman's  shot. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  bullet  went  wide  of  its  mark. 

When  Stokes  overturned  the  rowboat,  the  upset,  of  course, 
threw  out  of  the  boat  every  loose  aricle.  Among  them  was  a 
short,  loose  plank  that  had  lain  in  the  bottom  vf  the  boat  as  a 
brace  to  the  rower's  feet. 

When  Stokes  came  to  the  surface  his  head  struck  this  bit  of 
plank. 

He  did  not  need  such  an  article  to  help  him  in  swimming,  but 
as  he  wore  very  heavy  clothing  and  the  water  was  intensely  cold, 


FOWIyER  TRIES  TO  PLAY  PII,OT. 


59 


he  thought  it  best  to  cling  to  it  for  a  while  until  he  should   have 
managed  to  get  beyond  range  of  the  Colonia. 

The  first  thing  that  occurred  to  him  was  that  the  men  on  board 
might  fire  into  the  water  at  random  in  the  hope  of  some  chance 
shot  hitting  him. 

They  did  not  do  this,  and  while  they  were  searching  to  see 
what  the  supposed  robber  had  taken  away,  and  while  they  were 
towing  back  the  overturned  boat,  Stokes,  lying  on  his  back  and 
easing  himself  by  holding  to  the  bit  of  plank,  was  kicking  him- 
self as  fast  as  he  could  toward  the  Frozen  Spray. 

It  was  a  long,  long  swim  in  the  cold  and  darkness. 

He  abandoned  the  plank  when  he  was  well  away  from  the  Colo- 
nia, and  struck  out  on  his  &ide  in  the  style  employed  by  the  best 
swimmers. 

He  had  not  gone  far  in  this  way  before  it  occurred  to  him  that 
there  was  one  more  thing  he  could  do  to  cause  delay  to  the  Eng- 
lishmen. 

Acting  on  this  new  thought,  he  changed  his  course  and  swam 
for  the  shore. 

No  one  was  stirring  around  the  docks  at  that  hour. 

He  made  his  way  without  attempt  at  concealment  to  the  place 
where  another  small  boat  belonging  to  the  Colonia  lay. 

It  was  the  one  in  which  Berkeley  and  his  companions  had  come 
ashore. 

When  they  should  have  finished  their  discussion  they  would 
expect  to  return  in  it  to  the  steamer. 

Stokes  got  into  this  boat,  knelt  upon  the  bottom  and  began  to 
bore  a  hole  in  it  with  a  little  gimlet  attached  to  his  pocket  knife. 

He  had  no  more  than  begun  this  when  a  better  plan  occurred 
to  his  daring  mind. 

Wthout  hesitation  he  put  it  into  execution. 

Cutting  the  rope  that  made  the  boat  fast  to  the  lauding,  he  took 
up  the  oars  and  rowed  away. 

He  was  hardly  a  dozen  yards  from  the  dock  when  he  heard 
footsteps  coming  from  the  direction  of  the  city. 

The  oars  creaked  loudly  in  the  locks. 


6o 


FOWLER  TRIES  TO  PLAY  PILOT. 


Stokes  could  just  see  a  dim  form  standing  at  the  edge  of  the 
dock. 

"He's  trying  to  see  me,"  thought  Stokes  as  he  stopped  row- 
ing; "wonder  if  he's  one  of  the  Colonia  fellows?  If  so,  I  reckon 
it's  just  as  well  that  I  took  the  boat. " 

He  shifted  his  seat  to  the  stern,  where  he  used  one  of  the  oars 
silently  as  a  paddle. 

"Who  goes  there?"  demanded  a  stern  voice  from  the  dock. 

"Find  out,  Petey,"  was  Stokes'  response;  but  it  was  spoken 
to  himself. 

He  was  not  so  foolhardy  as  to  risk  the  success  of  his  undertak- 
ing at  this  stage  by  any  nonsense. 

"Who  goes  there?"  came  the  command  in  a  louder  tone. 

Stokes  paddled  vigorously,  but  the  noise  of  the  oar  in  the 
water  was  no  louder  than  the  rippling  of  wavelets  against  the 
pier. 

The  man  on  the  dock  turned  suddenly  and  ran  back. 

"He's  going  to  get  a  boat  and  give  chase, "  thought  Stokes; 
"now  for  a  race!" 

He  leaped  to  the  forward  seat  again  and  pulled  at  both  oars 
with  all  his  might. 

No  matter  how  much  noise  he  m^de,  he  was  determined  now 
to  get  to  the  Frozen  Spray  ahead  of  his  pursuer. 

The  latter  evidently  found  a  boat  at  once,  for  a  moment  later 
Stokes  saw  a  dark  object  emerge  from  the  blackness  near  the 
pier. 

The  pursuer  had  a  light  boat,  Stokes  a  very  heavy  one.  The 
detective  was  heavily  handicapped. 

"Swimming's  best,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  promptly  dropped 
overboard.  • 

The  result  was  that  when  the  pursuer,  a  police  oflScer,  came  up 
to  the  Colonia' s  boat  he  found  it  empty,  and  no  noise  or  other 
sign  thereabout  of  the  man  who  had  been  in  it. 

The  puzzled  oflScer  towed  the  boat  back  to  shore  and  in  due 
time  reported  the  matter,  but  long  before  that  Stokes  had  reached 
the  Frozen  Spray,  He  was  thoroughly  fagged  out  when  he 
arrived  thtre,  and  at  racted  the  attention  of  the  watchman  and 


FOWI.ER  TRIES  TO  PIvAY  PII,OT. 


61 


Fowler,  both  of  whom  were  on  the  alert  and  watching  for  him. 
He  was  rigged  out  ptomptly  in  ill-fitting  but  dry  clothing,  and 
very  soon  felt  none  the  worse  for  his  unexpected  bath. 

He  told  Fowler  and  the  skipper  of  the  craft  what  he  had  done, 
and  at  his  urgent  demand  sail  was  raised  at  once,  and  before  sun- 
rise the  Frozen  Spray  was  miles  from  Circle  City. 

This  much  was  satisfactory  to  Stokes  for  the  time,  because  his 
first  purpose  was  to  get  far  enough  away  to  avoid  the  possibility 
of  capture  if  the  men  on  the  Colonia  should  suspect  him  of  hav- 
ing done  the  mischief. 

Once  daylight  came,  however,  he  was  anxious  that  the  course 
of  the  vessel  should  be  laid  directly  toward  the  shore,  where  the 
stream  fiom  Old  Glory  emptied  into  the  river. 

Then  the  detective  found  himself  facing  the  worst  obstacle  in 
the  whole  adventure. 

Fowler  was  indeed  no  sailor. 

He  had  never  been  in  these  waters  until  his  trip  with  his  part- 
ner, Carney ;  and  although  he  could  remember  that  they  had 
explored  some  of  the  shore,  for  the  most  part  he  could  not  tell 
one  piece  of  land  from  another. 

"We  went  zigzaggin' and   criisscrossin'    along   through  yere," 
,he  said,  doubtfully;  "but  durn  ef  I  know  whether    we  went  to 
the  right  hand  or  the  left  hand  of  that  island  forward. " 
Stokes  was  ^n  despair. 

' '  I  don't  think  we  stopped  anywheres  yere, ' '  Fowler  said,  about 
midday. 

"It  makes  a  man  think,"  growled  Stokes,  "that  there's  no  such 
mine  as  Old  Glory. '  * 
"Now,  see  yere,"  cried   Fowler,    firing  up,  "that  don't  go. 

Smart  as  you  be,  I  won't  hev  you  doubtin'  my  word " 

"Oh,    well,  I   take  it   back,"    retorted   Stokes,  impatiently.   ^ 
"And  I'll  go  to  sleep.     Steer  the  old  tub  for  the  shore,  and  when 
we  get  there  we'll  tow  her  along  until  we  find  the  stream  that  you 
went  up. " 
With  this  he  went  below. 

The  others,  who  realized  as  fully  as  Stokes  that  their  chances 
were  slight  unless  luck  favored  them,  decided  to  take  his  angry 


PW 


69 


FOWIvER  TRiEvS  TO  PI,AY  PIIyOT. 


advice  seriously,  and  the  skipper  was  directed  to  steer  as  straight 
for  the  shore  as  he  could  go. 

When  darkness  came  it  was  decided  to  lay  to  for  fear  they 
might  pass  the  mouth  of  the  stream  which  they  wished  to  redis- 
cover. 

The  next  morning  Fowler  was  as  helpless  in  his  confusion  as 
before,  and  Stokes  began  to  wish  heartily  that  he  had  never 
taken  part  in  the  expedition ;  it  seemed  like  throwing  away  so 
much  good  time  and  energy — the  money  part  of  it  he  did  not 
care  for. 

He  was  extremely  anxious  to  hv .  omplish  something,  and  there 
seemed  no  hope  for  it. 

They  say  it's  always  darkest  just  before  the  dawn,  and  it 
seemed  to  be  something  like  that  in  this  case. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  wind  fteshened  consid- 
erably from  tUe  northwest,  thus  giving  the  schooner  the  best 
sailing  breeze  it  could  have. 

At  about  the  same  time  Fowler  gave  vent  to  a  loud  hurrah. 

"Is  Old  Glory  coming  out  to  meet  us  in  a  small  boat?"  asked 
Stokes,  sarcastically. 

"No,  durn  your  sassy  tongue, "  returned  Fowler,  "but  I  seen 
thet  hill  over  yonder  when  I  was  yere  before." 

And  he  pointed  to  an  elevation  lying  at  a  considerable  distance 
to  the  southeast, 

"Make  for  it,  then!"  cried  Stokes,  excitedly;  "take  the  glass, 
Fowler,  and  search  the  shore,  and  the  minute  you  see  any  signs 
of  that  stream  of  yours  let's  know  about  it." 

The  next  three  or  four  hours  the  schooner  sped  swiftly  over  the 
waves,  and  Fowler  hardly  lowered  the  glass. 

It  was  nearly  sundown  when  he  said  at  last,  very  quietly : 

"We've  got  thar  at  last!" 

"Where?"  asked  Stokes. 

Fowler  pointed  to  a  spot  almost  ateam. 

"The  stream  comes  out  thar,"  he  &Aid,  "right  whar  it  looks 
like  a  little  beach." 

The  skipper,  who  was  listening,  was  beginuiug  to  put  the  boat 
about  in  order  to  go  directly  to  this  beach. 


FOWLER  TRIES  TO  PLAY  PILOT. 


«3 


"  Hold  on  a  minute, "  said  Stokes. 

And  he  took  the  glass. 

He  had  often  and  often  during  the  journey  strained  bis  eyes  to 
the  north  and  west  for  any  sign  of  the  Colonia.  He  had  seen 
none.     Now  with  the  glass  he  repeated  the  opera'.ion. 

Far  away  he  distinguished  a  thin  line  of  smoke.  There  was 
no  mistaking  it.     TU%  smoke  came  from  the  funnel  of  a  steamet. 

It  might  not  be  the  Colonia;  she  was  hull  down  behind  the 
islands;  but  it  ^vas  not  likely  that  any  other  craft  of  her  kind 
was  prowling  aiound  in  these  waters  at  this  season. 

"Fowler,"  said  Stokes,  " have  you  got  your  bearings  so  that 
you  could  get  to  Old  Glory  without  following  up  the  course  of 
the  stream?" 

"You  bet!"  was  the  response. 

"Then  we  won't  put  in  here."  Stokes  looked  forward. 
"Make  for  that  rocky  point,"  he  said.  "Thp*  lies  just  to  the 
port  of  our  corrse,  \vn  drop  anchor  some  where  behind  it,  where 
the  schooner  cau     oe  seen  from  this  side." 

"What's  your  object  in  all  thet,  Stokes?"  inquired  Fowler. 
"It  will  be  easier  to  go  up  the  stream  in  small  boats  for  es  far  eg 
Carney  and  me  went.  It  will  be  thunderin'  difficult  to  lug  all  our 
provisions  over  that  ledge  and  up  the  hill  to  Old  Glory." 

"I  don't  care  how  difficult  it  is,"  was  the  detective's  response, 
"we've  got  to  do  it," 

' '  But  why  ?' '  persisted  Fowler. 

"Well,  if  you  want  to  know,"  Stokes  replied,  "it's  a  hundred 
to  one  that  the  Colonia  will  drop  anchor  off  this  place  inside  of 
three  hours;  if  her  men  get  sight  of  us,  very  likely  they'll  hurry 
up  to  the  mine;  if  they  don't,  there  is  just  a  chance  that  they 
will  lie  here  until  morning;  then  we'll  be  in  possession." 

"Possession  or  no  possession,"  responded  Fowler,  "the  mine 
is  mine,  for  Carney  and  me  staked  oif  the  claim. ' ' 

' '  And  your  stakes  have  undoubtedly  been  pulled  up, ' '  retorted 
Stokes,  "and  according  to  law  in  this  part  of  the  world  actual 
possession  counts  a  good  deal  more  than  right,  doesn't  it?" 

"I  reckon  it  does," 


64 


OLD  GLORY  AFLOAT  ONCB  MOR«. 


Ih'. 


CHAPTKR  IX.       • 
OI,D  GLORY  API,OAT  CNCE  MORK. 

Prom  then  until  the  time  the  Frozen  Spray  dropped  anchor 
around  the  rugged  headland,  Stokes  was  all  nervousness  for  fear 
the  breeze  would  go  down  and  leave  them  becalmed. 

No  such  bad  luck  occurred,  however. 

The  breeze  held  steadily. 

At  no  time  during  the  rest  of  the  tripwa^.  there  any  sign  of  the 
distant  steamer  except  the  first  line  of  smoke  on  the  horizon. 

The  men  forming  Fowler's  expedition  went  on  shore  immedi- 
ately, carrying  only  a  small  supply  of  provisions,  but  as  much 
ammunition  as  could  be  packed  upon  them. 

Stokes  believed  that  it  would  be  wise  to  be  prepared  for  a  hot 
fight,  tor  if  Old  Glory  were  anywhere  near  as  rich  a  mine  as 
Fowler  represented  it  to  be,  the  men  on  the  Colon ia  would  cer- 
tainly maice  a  desperate  effort  to  obtain  possession  of  it. 

As  the  expedition  began  to  make  its  way  up  the  ledge  in  the 
night,  Stokts  felt  jus;t  one  moment  of  doubt  as  to  whether  his 
suspicions  about  Berkeley  and  the  Colonia  were  correct. 

"It  would  be  an  awful  laugh  on  me,"  he  thouf^ht,  "if  after  all 
it  proved  that  they  weren't  connected  with  the  case  at  all." 

The  men  found  it  an  exceedingly  tiresome  journey;  the  forest 
was  very  dense  and  thickly  strewn  with  fallen  tre;^;  it  was 
impossible  to  pursue  a  straight  line  of  march;  having  clinibe«l 
the  ledge  behind  which  the  schooner  was  sheltered,  they  had  to 
descend  a  considerable  distance  before  they  came  again  to  rising 
ground. 

In  spite  of  all  their  haste  in  getting  away  from  the  schooner 
it  was  late  at  night  befo*x;  the;  started,  and  after  several  hours 
of  tramping,  follo'ving  a  direction  indicated  by  Fowler  and  keep* 


OLD  GLORY  AFLOAT  ONCE  MORE. 


65 


ijig  it  according  to  compass,  they  found  their  progress  blocked 
l)y  what  appeared  to  be  a  wide,  deep  and  rapid  streani. 

"There's  no  fording,"  remarked  Stokes,  standing  on  the 
bank.     " What  stream  is  tliis,  Fowler^"' 

"I'm  blessed  if  I  know,"  he  said;  "it's  putty  nigh  daylight, 
and  I  might  tell  then,  but  in  the  dark " 

"In  the  dark,"  interrupted  Stokes,  "you  reckon  it's  the  stream 
that  comes  from  Old  Glory,  don't  you?" 

"I  shouldn't  surprised  ef  it  was." 

"If  you  could  only  make  certain  of  it,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  "we 
could  follow  up  the  bank,  but  ef  it's  the  wrong  stream  it  would 
be  taking  us  out  of  oui  course  to  go  up. ' ' 

"  'Twas  a  mighty  crooked  stream,"  remarked  Fowler,  "an' 
p'r'aps  ef  you  should  throw  the  light  of  your  lantern  around  yere 
a  bit  I  might  recognize  somethin'." 

vStokes  produced  his  dark  lanterti  and  did  as  requested. 

"It  seems  like  it,"  raid  Fowler. 

Just  then  one  of  the  men  cried  out : 

"Durn  ef  I  haven't  found  a  handkerchief!" 

"A  what?'  cried  several  voices  in  astonishment. 

"How  long  since  hev  the  Indians  in  this  part  of  the  country 
took  to  usin'  pocket  handkerchiefs?"  asked  one  of  the  men, 
sarcastically. 

"That's  what  it  is,  though,"  said  the  man,  and  he  approa':^!ied 
tho  lantern  with  the  handkerchief  clinging  to  a  root. 

"A  handkerchief!"  shouted  Fowler,  in  wild  excitement. 
"You  onery  galoot,  thet's  OM  Glory!  Don't  you  know  your 
country's  flag  when  you  see  it?" 

He  shook  the  water  fron;  the  dripping  cloth  and  held  it  up  by 
two  corners. 

It  was  indeed  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

"That's  the  very  flag,"  declared  Fowler,  .solemnly,  "that  vay 
jH)or  pardner,  Carney,  liitchcd  to  a  slick  to  mark  our  claim,  an' 
'twas  thet  thet  give  it  its  name  of  Old  Glory." 

"Then  we're  on  the  right  stream,"  .said  Stokes,  (iuietly.**  and 
I  can  tell  you  what's  happened. 

"The  fellows  that  fired  at  you  tore  down  the  flag  and  threw  it 
into  the  brook,  and  that  shows  what  I've  believed  all  along,  that 
tliey  were  Englishmen." 

"Up  the  stream  to  the  mine!"  was  the  instant  cry  of  all. 

The  sun  was  just  rising  when  at  length  they  came  to  the  ledge 
■iiid  found  the  beginning  of  a  shaft  that  Carney  and  Fowler  had 
I)lasted  there  two  weeks  and  more  before. 

"This  is  the  spot, "  said  T'owler,  gravely,  "and  they've  done 
j(.'st  es  you  said;  they  tore  down  our  stakes— — " 


66 


OLD  GLORY  AFLOAT  ONCE  MORE. 


He  paused  and  went  forward  to  a  stick  set  in  the  ledge  at  the 
spot  where  Old  Glory  had  formerly  floated. 

"Durn  me,"  he  cried  angrily,  "ef  they  hevn't  used  our  own 
stakes  an'  put  a  new  name  to  the  thing. " 

He  pointed  down  to  the  ground  at  the  base  of  the  stakes  where 
a  piece  of  paper  lay,  held  in  place  by  a  fragment  of  quartz.  It 
had  been  rained  on,  but  the  words  upon  it  were  still  plainly  to  be 
seen. 

Stokes  picked  up  the  paper,  and  read : 

The  Queen's  Own  Miue.  Discovered  and  claimed  by  Archibald 
Berkeley  and  Mark  Slote. 

"Slote!"  two  or  three  of  the  men  exclaimed,  and  "Berkeley!" 
e»elaimed  the  others. 

"They're  the  men  I've  had  my  eyes  on  all  this  time, "  said 
Stokes,  "and  it  won't  be  long  before  we'll  see  them  here." 

"We'll  give  them  a  taste  of  bullets,"  muttered  one  man. 

"There's  a  better  way  than  that,"  said  Stokes. 

All  looked  at  him  with  some  surprise. 

"I'd  like  to  give  these  fellows  a  rap  as  well  as  any  of  the  rest 
of  you,  but  what's  the  use  of  shedding  blood  when  you  can  take 
them  alive?  I'd  rather  see  Berkeley  and  Slote  hang  than  to 
shoot  them  down  here,  even  in  a  fair  fight." 

The  men  were  so  delighted  with  the  detective's  shrewdness 
and  success  in  managing  the  expedition  thus  far  that  they 
agreed  to  obey  his  orders  still  farther. 

"I'll  keep  this  paper,"  said  Stokes,  putting  the  Englishmen's 
claim  in  his  pocket. 

"And  we'll  put  up  Old  Glory  where  it  flew  before." 

The  American  flag  was  again  fastened   to  the  stake,  and   but 

for  Stokes'  persuasions  the  men  would  have  given   the  colors  a 

volley  by  way  of  salue. 

"If  we  must  use  our  guns,"  said  Stokes,  "let  uses  them  wtten 
they'll  do  some  good." 

Then  he  stationed  some  of  the  men  in  the  thicket  from  whence 
the  shot  had  been  fired  that  killed  poor  Carney. 

The  others  he  concealed  elsewhere  among  the  rocks  and   trees. 

"We  shan't  have  long  to  wait,"  he  .said. 

It  was  a  true  ])re(Hction.  Less  than  half  an  hour  after  the  men 
had  taken  their  places  they  heard  approaching  voices  and  foot- 
steps. 

Presently  seven  or  eight  men  came  into  view  toiling  up  the 
bank  of  the  stream  with  mining  implements  and  packs  of  provis- 
ions on  their  bucks. 

At  the  head  of  the  party  were  Berkeley  and  Slote,  and  another 
man  who  was  evidently  not  a  mining  prospector,    fbr  he  whs 


OIvD  GI^ORY  AFI^OAT  ONCE  MORB. 


67 


dressed  in  much  better  style  and  looked  unaccustomed  to  march- 
ing. 

"This  is  the  place,"  cried  Berkeley,  and  then  he  halted  in 
astonishment,  for  his  eyes  saw  the  American  flag  floating  on  the 
.same  spot  where  he  himself  had  torn  it  down  many  days  before. 

vStokes  did  not  give  him  or  the  others  a  chance  to  recover  from 
their  surprise. 

He  quietly  arose  from  behind  the  pile  of  quartz  that  had  been 
thrown  up  by  Fowler,  and  holding  a  revolver  in  each  hand,  said: 

"Now,  gentleman,  every  man  of  you  is  covered,  just  as  the  two 
Americans  were  covered  when  they  were  at  work  on  this  mine. 
The  first  one  of  you  that  stirs  simply  gives  a  signal  for  the  death 
of  every  man  in  your  gang. 

"This  mine  is  on  American  soil,  it  was  discovered  and  is 
owned  by  Americans,  and  they  are  here  to  fight  for  it." 

He  raised  his  hand,  and  at  that  signal  the  men  concealed  in 
the  thickets  fired  a  volley  over  the  heads  of  the  :tartled  English- 
men. 

The  shot  seemed  to  come  from  every  direction.  It  was  as  cer- 
tain as  could  be  to  Berkeley  and  his  men  that  they  were  sur- 
rounded and  that  resistance  was  hopeless. 

Accordingly,  at  another  command  from  Stokes  they  threw 
tlieir  weapons  upon  the  gronnd,  and  Fowler  and  his  men  came 
out  from  the  thicket  to  take  possession  of  them. 

In  the  confusion  that  followed  this  Slote  attempted  to  break 
away.  One  of  the  men  in  the  expedition  promptly  sent  a  bullet 
into  his  shoulder  that  disabled  him  and  ended  the  trouble. 

To  his  great  satisfaction,  Stokes  found  that  Slote  was  wearing 
a  coat  from  which  a  button  and  a  fragment  of  cloth  was  missing, 
and  the  piece  of  cloth  that  he  had  been  carrying  in  his  pocket 
lor  several  days  matched  the  tear  exactly. 

It  proved  later  that  Berkeley  and  Slote  were  two  members  of 
the  gang  that  had  been  driven  out  of  the  illegal  sealing  business, 
and  liad  taken  to  hunting  tor  gold  without  any  knowledge  of 
mining. 

They  had  discovered  Fowler  and  Carney  at  their  work,  and 
had  watched  them  long  enough  to  see  that  the  Americans  had 
made  a  gooil  find. 

Then  they  had  attempted  to  kill  them  both.  Fbiliug.  in  this 
they  had  carrietl  away  specimens  of  the  quartz,  and  by  reason  of 
knowing  the  sailing  route  among  tbe  islands,  had  got  to  Circle 
City  in  advance  of  Fowler. 

There  they  tried  to  raise  money  on  the  strength  of  the  speci- 
mens they  had  brought  with  them,  in  order  to  develop  the  m|jie 
sufficiently  to  sell  it. 

Meantime  they  had  sent  word  to  other  members  of  their  gang 


68 


OLD  GLORY  AFLOAT  ONCE  MORE. 


ill   British   Cohitnbia,  and   had  heard  no  word  from   them   until 
the  leltfj^rani  came  which  Stokes  had  picked  up. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  the  way  that  Stokes  disabled  the  Colo- 
nia,  Berkeley  and  his  gang  would  have  been  in  possession  of  the 
mine  for  at  least  two  days  before  Fowler's  expedition  could  have 
arrived.  The  well-dressed  man  in  the  party  was  a  swindler  from 
British  Columbia,  who  had  fitted  out  the  Colonia  to  go  to  Berke- 
ley's assistance. 

The  end  of  Stokes'  first  adventure  as  a  detective  in  Alaska  was 
the  return  of  all  the  English  party  as  prisoners  to  Circle  City, 
where  Berkeley  and  Slote  Vvere  convicted  of  murder.  It  was  also 
proven  during  the  trial  that  Slote  had  hired  the  toughs  to  garrote 
Stokes. 

The  others  were  released,  because  there  was  no  legal  charge 
that  could  be  sustained  against  them. 

Fowler,  of  course,  maintained  his  rights  to  the  mine,  and 
shared  it  among  the  men  who  had  joined  the  expedition  to 
recover  it,  forming  t?!e  Old  Cory  Mine  Company. 

Suet  was  the  beginning  of  the  great  Klondike  discoveries 
which  have  set  two  continents  gold-mad.  On  the  spot  where  Fow- 
ler and  the  unfortunate  Carney  with  patriotic;  devotion  erected 
the  flag  of  their  country  over  their  mine,  other  and  more  success- 
ful prospectors  have  struck  it  rich.  The  luckiest  of  these  was 
perhaps  Dawson,  after  whom  the  town  that  grew  up  like  a  mush- 
room in  one  night,  has  been  called  Dawson  City. 

Another  result  of  this  affair  was  that  the  whole  course  of  Har- 
vey Stokes'  career  was  changed.  After  the  trial  and  conviction  of 
the  criminals  the  brave  and  handsome  detective  was  received 
with  the  acclaim  an  opera  tenor  is  accorded  in  more  civilized 
regions.  He  rapidly  became  the  most  talked  of  man  in  all 
Alaska.  In  fine  the  hero-worship  became  so  repulsive  to  the 
unassuming  young  sleuth  that  to  rid  himself  of  it,  he  went  off  on 
a  shooting  expe<lition  for  many  days  with  some  friends  in  the 
depths  of  the  forest. 

But  the  land  soon  became  overrun  with  prospectors,  investors 
and  many  unclassed  idlers  and  "bad  men"  v/hose  tricks  not  long 
after  the  Old  Glory  incident  made  Har.ry  Stokes'  presence 
absolutely  necessary  to  the  law-abidiug  inhabitants  of  the 
locality. 


STOIvEN   PAPERS. 


69 


CHAPTER  y 

STOI^EN      PAPl^RS. 

For  more  than  a  fortnight  Harvey  Stokes  was  as  utterly  out  of 
Circle  City  as  though  its  denizens  had  never  seen  him. 

Things  went  well  for  a  time.  Men  delved  and  sweated  for  gold 
and  millionaires  were  made  in  a  week.  Soon  companies  began 
to  be  formed.  One  of  these  was  the  Old  Glory  Mine  Company 
which  had  come  into  possession  of  another  rich  claim.  It  was 
in  connection  with  it  that  half  a  dozen  men  were  standing  before 
a  business  building  in  Circle  City  one  morning. 

"Well,  Fowler,"  said  one  of  them,  "we're  ready  for  business. 
L,et's  make  a  start." 

"I'm  waitin'  for  Murdock,  Mr.  Bellows,"  was  the  response; 
"we  can't  very  well  go  on  without  him." 

"Why  not?" 

"He  has  the  papers  that  prove  our  ownership  to  the  mine." 

"Well,  you  certainly  can't  expect  to-dispose  of  your  property 
without  those  papers." 

"Of  course  not;  Murdock  will  be  yere  presently,  I'm  sure." 

The  men  looked  up  and  down  the  street  in  both  directions. 

The  man  addressed  as  Bellows  was  evidently  impatient. 

"It  seems  odd,"  he  said,  "that  papeis  of  such  importance 
should  be  intrusted  to  one  man's  keeping " 

"You  understand,  Mr.  Bellows,"  interrupted  Fowler,  "that  in 
this  part  of  the  country  safety  deposit  vaults  an'  trust  com- 
l)aiiies,  an'  all  thet  sort  of  thing  are  not  es  numerous  es  they  are 
in  New  York." 

"Well,  but  there  are  such  thing  as  safes, "  retorted  Bellows, 
"for  I've  seen  them  myself  here." 

"Yes,  we  hev  a  safe  an'  it's  in  our  headquarters  on  the  island 
(if  Taska.  Murdock  is  comin'  from  thare  this  morniu'  to  bring 
the  papers." 

"Well,  I  wi.sh  he  would  hurry  up,"  growled  Bellows.  "I 
don't  want  to  stay  in  this  infernal  cold  region  any  longer  than  is 
necessary.  I  am  satisfied  of  the  value  of  your  property  and  I  am 
ready  take  it  just  as  soon  as  the  papers  can  be  made  out." 

' '  Ks  soon  es  we  can  agree  upon  the  terms, ' '  added  Fowler. 

"Yes,    yes,"    assented   Bellows,  impatiently;  "you   know  my 


70 


STOLEN  PAPERS. 


offer,  and  these  are  the  terms  upon  which  the  property  will  be 
transferred  if  it  is  transferred  at  all." 

"We  «:ay  hev  some  argymint  about  thet,"  remarked    Fowler. 

"Yere  comes  Murdock  now, "  exclaimed  one  of  the  others  in 
the  group.     "Wonder  what  s  the  matter  with  him ?" 

All  eyes  were  turned  upon  a  man  who  was  coming  toward  them 
on  the  run.  His  facf  was  red  with  exertion,  and  it  was  evident 
that  he  had  been  hurrying  for  a  long  time. 

"He's  trying  to  make  up  for  lost  time, "  remarked  Bellows, 
severely,  "which  in  business  can  never  be  done." 

"It's  time  enough,  Mr.  Bellows,"  said  Fowler.  "Now  thet 
Murdock  is  yere  we  can  get  right  at  it " 

At  this  moment  Murdock,  who  had  come  within  a  few  paces 
of  the  group,  dropped  from  his  run  into  a  slow  walk. 

"Well,  Murdy,"  said  Fowler,  cheerfully,  "it's  a  good  plan  to 
make  a  bluff  at  hurryin'  when  you're  behind  time,  but — " 

Fowler  stopped  because  Murdock  shook  his  head  gravely  and 
looked  at  the  group  generally  in  alarm. 

"What's  the  matter,  Murdy?"  cried  one  of  them. 

"Lost!"  he  gasped,  "clean  gone — every  one  of  them!" 

"Gone?" 

"Lost!" 

"What's  gone?"  cried  one  and  another. 

"The  papers/'  Murdock  responded. 

"Who  did  it?' 

"When  was  it?" 

"How  did  you  find  out  about  it?" 

These  questions  and  many  others  were  asked  excitedly,  while 
Murdock  stood  there  panting,  hardly  able  to  use  his  voice  at  all. 

Their  excitement  caused  a  nutuber  of  men  who  wt  e  passing 
\.o  gather  around  the  group. 

"See  here,  gentlemen,"  said  Bellows,  "the  open  air  is  noplace 
for  this  kind  of  talk. " 

"Thet'sso, '  said  Fowler.      "Lets  go  inside." 

They  accordingly  turned  about  and  went  into  the  building  to 
a  room  in  the  rear  on  the  ground  floor.     This  was  a  vacant  officf. 

It  had  been  engaged  for  the  meeting  of  these  men,  and  tli'.' 
janitor  of  the  building  had  placed  in  it  a  dozen  wooden  chairs 
and  a  small  plain  table. 

It  was  lighted  by  two  windows,  one  looking  out  on  the  hillside 
at  the  back  and  the  other  upon  an  alley. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Bellows,  suddenly,  when  they  were  all 
inside,  "what  does  this  mean?" 

"Yes,  Murdy,  what  does  it  mean?"  Fowler  repeated. 

Murdock  drew  a  long  breath  and  responded : 

"It  means  thet  we've  been  robbed!" 


Mos 

vv/  at  t] 

lyi.jg. 

"Ro 

does  ail 

"Th< 

(lock, 

"But 

"The 

them. '  • 

Hello 

lie  were 

in  partii 

"Tell 

"The 

satje  last 

tlio  inin( 

the  pape 

"How 

"Beca 

"Whe 

"Whe 

Murdc 

aiijrry. 

"Wha 
"Rigl 

I''"-ty,  n£ 

"Now 

row  abot 

"Mr. 
the  dust 
alluded 

Murdo 

the  smok 

How 

"Mr. 

'I'J"  know 

iiitrojuce 

Now. 

an'  let's 

"Well. 

tone,  "es 

'"■ought 

I  «boiit  llu 

«"' lonkf 

right.     T 


STOLEN  PAPERS. 


71 


Most  of  the  men  looked  at  Murdock  as  if  they  could  not  believe 
vv)  at  they  heard ;  and  Bellows  seemed  to  think  that  Murdock  was 
lyiiig. 

"Robbed?"  he  .'xclaimed,  contemptuously.  "Why,  what 
does  anybody  want  to  commit  robbery  for " 

"These  Esquimaux  are  a  race  of  thieves, "  interrupted  Mur- 
dock. 

"But  will  they  steal  business  papers?"  Bellows  demanded. 

"They  might  if  they  thought  they  could  get  anything  for 
them." 

Ht'llows  grunted,  sat  down  in  a  chair,  and  lighted  a  cigar  as  if 
lu'  were  disgusted  with  life  generally  and  with  events  in  Alaska 
in  particular. 

"Tell  us  about  it,  Murdy,"  said  Fowler. 

"There's  nothin'  to  tell,"  was  the  response.  "I  got  your  mes- 
satje  last  night  that  a  New  York  capitalist  was  yere  ready  to  buy 
the  mine,  an'  thet  all  thet  was  necessary  was  thet  I  should  bring 
tlic  papers.     They  were  in  the  safe  then  right  enough." 

"How  do  you  know?"  demanded  Bellows. 

"Recausel  looked." 

"When?" 

"When  I  got  Fowler's  message." 

Murdock  had  recovered  his  breath  and  was  evidently  getting 
anjfry.     He  looked  sourly  at  Bellows  and  exclaimed : 

' '  What  right  hev  you  to  ask  these  questions,  anyway  ?' '  ^ 

"Right "  began   Bellows,  when   one  of  the  men  in  the 

party,  named  Payton,  interrupted: 

"Now  you  gentlemen  hold  easy;  thare  ain't  goin'  tet  be  no 
row  about  this  until  we  know  what  we're  rowin'  about,  see?" 

"Mr.  Murdock,  this  is  Mr.  Bellows,  of  New  York,  him  es  hes 
the  dust  to  buy  the  mine  with.  He's  the  feller  thet  Fowler 
alluded  to  in  his  message  to  you." 

Murdock  stared  at  Bellows  without  bowing  and  Bellows  blew 
the  smoke  from  his  mouth  and  said: 

' '  Mow  do  you  do  ?' ' 

"Mr.  Bellews,"  continued  Payton,  "this yere  is  Murdock,  bet- 
ter known  es  Murdy,  one  of  our  pardners.  Now,  there  you  be 
introjuced  es  perlitely  es  cf  you  was  in  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel. 

"Now,  Murdock,  it's  yout  deal.  Turn  out  the  keerds  reg'lar, 
an'  leL's  see  what  they're  like.', 

"Well,  boys,  an'  Mr.  Bellows,"  returned  Murdock  in  a  grieved 
tone,  "es  I  was  sayin',  when  I  jcjot  Fowler's  message,  which  was 
l)rou^lit  to  me  by  Cadloo,  the  Esquimau,  I  was  thet  excited 
about  the  prospect  of  gettin'  money  thet  I  went  right  to  the  safe 
an'  looked  over  the  papers  to  see  thet  they  were  thare  an'  all 
ighi.     They  were  an'  so  help  me  I" 


7* 


STOLEN  PAPERS. 


"What  did  you  do  then?"  It  was  Bellows  who  asked  this 
question. 

"I  shut  up  the  safe  an'  locked  it,"  was  the  reply. 

"What  did  you  do  next?" 

"Well,  next  thing,"  continued  Murdock,  "Igaveoutordc-sfor 
to-day's  work  an'  turned  in  early,  because  to  getyere  on  time  it  is 
necessary  to  start  long  before  sunrise.  I  got  up  at  four  o'clock. 
I  went  to  the  safe  an'  opened  it,  or  rather  I  found  it  open  an' 
cleaned  out  from  top  to  bottom." 

' '  You  found  it  open  ?' ' 

"Yes.     The  lock  smashed. " 

"How  was  it  done?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"What  do  you  think?" 

Murdock  hesitated. 

"Blown  up  with  powder,  likely,"  be  sa!d  at  last. 

Bellows  scowled  and  the  others  looked  gravely  disappointed. 

"Weren't  you  sleepin'  above  where  the  safe  was  kept?"  asked 
Pay  ton. 

"I  was  sleepin'  in  the  room  at  the  side,"  replied  Murdock. 

"Didn't  you  hear  nothin'  in  the  night?" 

"Not  a  thing." 

"An'  the  safe  was  cleaned  out?" 

"Every  durn  thing,  except  a  few  letters,  was  gone." 

"And  what  did  you  do?" 

* '  I  routed  out  the  camp,  raised  Ned  generally  with  the  men  an' 
tried  to  find  out  about  it. 

"I  couldn't  find  a  thing,  an'  I  thought  the  best  thing  to  do 
was  to  come  over  yere  es  quick  es  I  could. 

"So  Cadloo  an'  I  got  into  our  rowboat  and  came  along.  Thet's 
allthare'stoit." 

Murdock's  partners  did  not  know  what  to  say;  they  stared  at 
each  other  a  moment  and  then  turned  their  eyes  toward  Bellows. 

"Oh,  don't  look  at  me,"  cried  the  latter,  "as  if  I  could  tell 
you  where  your  papers  -vere.  There's  no  doing  any  business 
without  them,  and  when  you  find  them  you  had  better  let  me 
know.  I'm  going  back  to  the  hotel.  I'd  take  a  boat  baek  to-day 
if  there  was  one  rather  than  fool  around  any  longer. ' ' 

With  this  Bellows  stamped  out  of  the  room.  The  others  let  him 
go  without  any  protest. 

" Thar' s  one  thing  about  it,"  remarked  Payton  with  a  grin: 
"this  Mr.  Bellows  can't  leave  for  two  or  three  weeks,  fer  thar 
ain't  no  boat  goes  afore  then." 

"That's  so,"  said  Fowler,  hopefully,  "an'  in  the  mean  time 
we  may  be  able  to  find  those  papers," 

Murdock  shook  his  head. 


STOIvRN  PAPER»^. 


n 


"Don't  believe  it,"  he  said. 

"We'll  see  about  thet, "  remarked  Payton;  "the  poitit  is,  who 
could  hev  took  'em?" 

Murdock  sighed  and  dropped  into  a  chair. 

' '  It  beats  me, ' '  he  answered. 

"Some  thievin'  Esquimau  might  hev  took  'era  in  the  hope  of 
a  reward,"  said  PaytoiT 

"Maybe,"  returned  Murdock. 

Suddenly  Fowler  brought  his  fist  hard  down  upon  the  table. 

"By  gum!"  he  cried,  "I've  got  it!" 

'  Got  what  ?' '  asked  the  others. 

"I've  found  the  way  out  of  this  scrape." 

"Well,  let's  hev  it." 

"You  hain't  forgot  the  way  the  Old  Glory  Mine  was  took 
away  in  the  beginnin'  from  me  an'  how  I  got  it  back?" 

"  'Tain't  likely  we  would  forget  thet,"  Payton  responded, 
"when  it's  only  a  couple  of  weeks  since  it  all  hapened. " 

"Well,"  continued  Fowler,  "you  know  the  man  thet  did  the 
l)usiness?" 

"You  mean  Harvey  Stokes?" 

"The  same." 

"We  know  him." 

"Well,  he's  back  here  again." 

"Is  thet  so?" 

"Yes,  an'  he's  the  feller  we  want." 

"He's  a  likely  chap,"  remarked  Payton,  thoughtfully. 

"Likely  ain't  no  word  fer  it,"  cried  Fowler.  "  'Tain't  so 
tuuch  es  he's  got  nerve,  'cause  the  rest  of  us  hes  got  thet,  an' 
tlic  rest  of  us  hes  hed  more  experience  by  forty  times  than  he's 
hod,  but  he's  got  the  makin'  of  a  detective,  an'  ef  thare  ever 
was  a  case  thet  called  fer  a  detective's  services,  this  one  does." 

"What  can  a  detective  do  with  a  lot  of  these  thievin'  Esqui- 
maux?" asked  Murdock. 

"What  did  he  do?"  retorted  Fowler,  "with  the  rascally 
I'.iiglishmen  thet  tried  to  get  possession  of  the  Old  Glory  Mine?" 

"Well,"  returned  Murdock,  uneasily,  "I  don't  believe  thar's 
any  good  luggin'  Stokes  into  it." 

"It's  our  only  hope,"  Fowler  insisted. 

After  a  few  moments'  further  discussion  the  rest  agreed  with 
liini.  The  result  was  that  the  party  separated,  the  men  going 
in  various  directions  to  hunt  for  the  detective. 

Harvey  Stokes  had  just  returned  from  his  shooting  trip  that 
afternoon.  He  was  found  about  nightfall,  and  it  was  not  until 
after  dark  that  he  was  with  all  the  partners  in  the  office  where 
they  had  expected  to  arrange  with  Bellows  for  the  purchase  of 
their  mine. 


,^- 


74 


STOKES  AS  A  WINDOW  BREAKER. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

STOKBS  AS  A  WINDOW  BRBAKSR. 

Bellows  -was  not  present.  All  the  partners,  except  Murdock, 
were  evidently  hopeful  that  Stokes  would  instantly  solve  the 
problem  that  troubled  them. 

They  looked  at  him  with  smiling  faces,  waiting  for  him  to 
speak,  while  Fowler  described  the  situation. 

Murdock  sat  by  himself  in  a  corner  of  the  room  with  his  amis 
folded  and  his  chin  sunk  upon  his  chest. 

Once  in  a  while  he  glanced  at  Stokes,  but  for  the  most  part  lie 
kept  his  eyes  upon  the  floor.  From  time  to  time  Fowler  would 
say: 

"Thet's  the  way  it  was,  wasn't  it,  Murdy?"  or,  "Ain't  thet 
the  way,  Murdy?"     And  Murdock  would  growl  and  answer: 

"Thet  was  about  it." 

Farther  than  this  he  said  nothing  until  Stokes  began  to  ask 
questions. 

"Now  you  see,  Stokes,"  said  Fowler,  when  he  had  explained 
the  affair,  "we're  in  a  hole  an'  we  want  you  to  help  us  out  of 
it.     The  question  right  at  the  start  is,  will  you  do  it?" 

"I'm  in  it,"  Stokes  answered,  quietly.     "I'll  do  what  I  can." 

"Thet's  half  the  battle, "  exclaimed  Fowler.  And  the  others 
except  Murdock  looked  highly  pleased. 

"Don't  be  so  sure  of  thet,"  said  Stokes. 

"Thet's  all  right,  young  feller,"  interrupted  Payton.  "You 
don't  need  to  bluff,  for  you  hold  the  keerds.  Jest  you  name  the 
limit  an'  we'll  play  your  game  from  start  to  finish." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  namin'  my  limit?"  Stokes  asked. 

Of  course  he  was  familiar  enough  with  poker  to  understand  the  I 
remark  in  a  general  way,  and  he  could  see  that  Payton  was  a  man 
who  was  so  fond  of  the  game  that  he  could  not   help  dropping 
into  poker  slang  whenever  he  talked  business. 

The  detective  had  an  object  in  asking  this  question,  and  this  | 
appeared  a  moment  later. 

"Why,"  answered  Payton,  with  a  little  hesitation,  "this  yerel 
thing's  bound  to  take  your  time, an'  a  man  can't  shuffle  an'  deal! 
an'  pick  up  the  keerdj,  too,  'thout  he  hes  at  least  a  chance  ofj 
winnin'  some  of  the  chips,  see?" 


vSTOKES  AS  A  WINDOW  BRKAKER. 


75 


" In  other  words,  Stokes,"  sai('  Fowler,  "this  is  a  matter  of 
business  with  us,  an'  we  want  you  to  look  at  it  in  thet  light. 
Jest  name  yout  price." 

"I  thought  thet  was  what  you  were  drivin'  at,"  Stokes 
responded,  "an'  I  tell  you,  es  I  did  Fowler  before,  thet  I  ain't 
out  for  business,  not  yet.  Ef  this  sort  o:  thing  keeps  up  an'  I 
find  thet  I  can  do  anything  in  this  line,  I  may  hang  out  my 
sli ingle  an'  put  a  price  on  my  work. 

"Es  'tis,  I  hevn't  got  any  price,  for  I'm  not  certain  thet  my 
work  is  worth  anything. 

"I'll  go  into  this  thing  for  the  fun  of  it,  but  I'll  also  go  into 
it  to  win,  an'  ef  thar's  any  question  of  price  we  can  talk  thet 
later." 

' '  I,  for  one, ' '  remarked  Fowler,  ' '  would  allow  thet  you  should 
hev  an  equal  share  in  the  profits  of  our  sale,  ef  we  make  one, 
thet  is,  provided  you  find  the  missing  papers." 

"Ef  I  find  'em,"  said  Stokes,  "I  shall  hand  'em  over  to  you, 
an'  ef  I've  been  put  to  any  expense  in  the  matter  an'  it's  handy 
for  you  to  meet  it,  you  can  do  so.  Now  I  want  to  know  about 
this." 

"I've  told  j'ou  all  we  know." 

"You  think  you  hev,  but  you  hevn't." 

"We  hevn't  meant  to  keep  nothin'  back,  Stokes," 

"I  know  you  hevn't,  but  you  hev  said  thet  possibly  some 
thievin'  Esquimau  took  those  papers  in  the  hope  of  gettin'  a 
reward  for  'em.  Now,  es  I  understand  it,  those  papers  proved 
your  right  to  the  property.     Didn't  they  ?" 

"They  did  jest  thet." 

"And  this  yere  Taska  Mine  is  owned  by  the  Old  Glory  Mine 
Com  >any  which  is  yourselves?" 

"Right." 

"Did  you  purchase  the  property  from  Esquimaux?" 

"Oh,  no!" 

"Then  is  it  possible  thet  the  papers  could  hev  been  stolen  by 
the  people  who  formerly  owned  the  property  an'  who  hoped  to 
get  possession  of  it  again  by  destroyin'  the  evidence  of  your  own- 
ership?" 

"No,"  was  the  prompt  answer.  "The  fellers  thet  discovered 
thet  the  island  of  Taska  hed  gold  on  it  hain't  in  his  yere  part 
of  the  world  at  all.  The  Esquimaux  hevn't  made  no  claim  to  it 
in  thirty  year.  I  reckon  no  Esquimau  could  do  anything  with 
those  papets  except  demand  a  reward  for  'em?" 

Stokes  thought  a  moment,  and  during  the  silence  there  was  a 
light  ticking  noise  upon  one  of  the  windows.  It  was  much  as  if 
a  branch  of  a  tree  had  been  blown  by  the  wind  so  that  the  leaves 
scraped  the  glass. 


76 


STOKEvS  AS  A  WINDOW  BREAKER. 


Nobody  in  the  room  paid  any  special  attention  to  the  noise, 
although  two  or  three  men  turned  curiously  toward  the  window. 
Nothing  was  to  be  seen  there  except  the  darkness  of  ,.'ie  night  out- 
side, and  nothing  was  said  of  the  matter. 

Stokes  himself  appeared  to  pay  no  attention  to  it,  although  he 
did  raise  his  eyes  toward  the  window. 

His  thoughts  were  evidently  far  away.     Presently  he  asked: 

"Where  is  this  island  of  Taska?" 

Murdock  suddenly  became  interested  and  active. 

"I  can  tell  you  all  about  thet,"  he  said,  sitting  up  and  putting 
both  hands  upon  his  knees. 

"It's  about  forty  miles  to  the  northeast  of  yere.  It  ain't  a  very 
big  island. ' ' 

Stokes  looked  quietly  at  the  speaker  and  asked. 

' '  Do  you  fellers  own  the  whole  of  it  ?' ' 

"Every  bit  of  it,"  Murdock  answered,  quickly. 

Murdock  was  looking  restlessly  about  the  room  and  Stokes  was 
struck  with  his  action  and  his  sudden  liveliness. 

"Tell  me  all  you  can  about  the  island,"  he  said. 

"Well,  it's  jest  like  a  hill  thet's  stuck  its  nose  out  of  the 
water.  It's  mostly  rock  with  a  few  scrub  pines  growin'  on  it  yere 
an'  thar,  an'  the  only  buildings  on  it  are  those  thet  belong  to 
our  camp.     Thare's  huts  for  the  Esquimaux  laborers " 

"How  many  are  thare  of  them?"  Stokes  asked. 

"Esquimaux?" 

"Yes." 

"Nine." 

"Are  there  other  white  men  thar  besides  yourselves?'' 

"Oh,  yes,  half  a  dozen." 

"Are  they  partners?" 

"No.    They  work  by  the  day. " 

"We  hev  really  done  a  good  deal  with  the  mine,  Stokes," 
remarked  Fowler.  "It's  in  good  shape  to  pay,  but  it  needs  jest  a 
little  money  to  develop  it,  an'  thet's  why  we're  tryin'  to 
sell " 

"Never  mind  thet  now,"  Stokes  interrupted.  "You've  hed 
something  stolen  thet  you  want  to  recover,  an'  what  I  want  to  get 
at  is  whether  thar  is  anything  on  the  island  to  hide  the  papers 
in  so  thet  a  good  search  couldn't  find  'em." 

"Well,  I   don't  know "    Fowler  began,    when   Murdock 

interrupted : 

"I  can  make  thet  j^t  fes  clear,"  he  exclaimed,  "es  ef  you  were 
on  the  spot  yourself." 

He  arose  and  took  from  his  pocket  a  paper  which  he  unfolded 
and  laid  upon  the  table.     It  proved  to  be  a  map  of  the  island, 


STOKKvS  AS  A  WINDOW  BRKAKER. 


77 


showing  clearly  the  locatiou  of  the  buildings  and  the  mining 
slifds,  etc. 

All  the  men  gathered  around  th(,  table  and  looked  curiously 
at  it. 

Stokes,  of  course,  began  to  study  it  at  once. 

"Don't  crowd,"  exclaimed  Murdock,  rather  impatiently;  "let 
Mr.  Stokes  liev  a  chance  to  get  what  he  can  outen  the  map. 
tiive  him  room,  the  rest  of  j'ou." 

"Oh,  thar's  room  enough,"  muttered  Stokes,  with  his  eyea 
upon  the  paper.  A  dozen  men  might  have  looked  over  his  shoul- 
der while  he  was  studying  the  map  and  he  would  not  have  been 
disturbed  by  their  presence. 

Murdock,  however,  seetned  to  feel  that  there  should  be  no 
crowding  around  the  table,  and  he  set  the  example  by  returning 
to  his  own  corner,  where  he  stood  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets 
watching  Stokes. 

The  others  followed  his  example,  just  as  men  almost  always 
will  do  when  somebody  takes  the  lead,  and  retired  to  other  parts 
of  the  room,  leaving  Stokes  stooping  over  the  table  in  the  very 
middle. 

He  had  one  forefinger  on  the  map  and  was  rapidly  committing 
to   memory  the   lay  of  the  land  as  it  was  marked  theie.     "What 

is  this  little  circle "   he  began,  when  everybody  was   startled 

by  the  sound  of  a  pistol  shot  from  without. 

vStokes  felt  a  hot  tingling  upon  his  right  cheek,  as  if  somebod)' 
had  struck  him  with  a  whiplash. 

Both  of  his  hands  were  upon  the  table  and  he  was  facing  one 
of  the  two  windows. 

Those  in  the  room  were  so  startled  by  the  sound  of  the  shot 
that  for  just  an  instatit  nobody  moved  or  spoke. 

Stokes,  who  had  raised  his  head  when  he  began  to  ask  his 
question,  saw  a  little  lound  hole  in  the  pane  of  glass  directly 
opposite  him. 

He  himself  acted  so  quickly  that  those  who  .saw  him  said  after- 
ward that  it  seemed  as  if  he  leaped  the  very  instant  that  the  shot 
was  fired. 

As  Payton  put  it : 

"It  seemed  jest  es  ef  Stokes  knowed  the  shot  was  comin'  an' 
jumped  the  minute  the  feller  pulled  the  trigger." 

What  the  detective  did  was  to  vaidt  over  the  table,  take  one 
leap  toward  the  window,  and  then  folding  his  arms  before  his 
face,  take  another  leap  that  carrieil  him  straight  through  it  and 
out  into  the  alley  that  ran  alongside. 

There  was  a  tremendous  crash  of  broken  glass  atid  splintered 
sashes,  and  the  startled  men  within  the  room  hurried  to  the 
wrecked  window  and  looked  out. 


78 


STOKES  AS  A  WINDOW  BREAKER. 


They  could  see  nothing,  but  they  heard  the  light  sounds  of 
hurrying  feet  and  knew  that  Stokes  must  have  landed  upright, 
and  that  he  was  now  in  pursuit  of  the  fellow  who  had  fired  at 
hiui. 

When  Stokes  struck  the  ground  he  saved  himself  from  falling 
by  taking  another  leap,  which  brought  him  almost  against  the 
building  at  the  other  side  of  the  alley. 

He  put  out  his  hands  to  the  waP,  caught  his  balance  in  the 
flash  of  a  sec^^nd,  and  turned  liis  head  towanl  the  street. 

He  had  been  so  quick  about  it  that  the  felloe;  who  had  fired 
had  not  mor:i  than  started  to  run  by  the  tiuv  Stokes  came  crash- 
ing through  the  v/indow  affer  him. 

Jt  v.as  a  Jiavk  i  ight,  but  the  would-l  o  aiurdercr  had  to  pass  a 
lighted  window,  and  in  the  rays  of  the  lamp  »Stokes  saw  him. 
He  'vas  then  lest^  th  ;n  twenty  feet  away. 

It  would  have  been  -ui  easy  matter  for  Stokes  to  shoot  him  on 
the  spot,  but  it  suited  his  purpose  better  to  pursue  and  capture 
the  fellow  alive. 

Accordingly  he  sprinted  after  the  fugitive  with  all  the  speed  of 
his  wiry  frame,  and  overtook  him  just  at  t)ie  edge  of  the  .street. 

The  main  street  is  not  particui*^''y  lively  at  nigh;.,  and  at  this 
moment  there  appeared  to  be  nobo<ly  in  that  vicinity  except 
Stokes  aud  tlie  fugitive. 

As  Stokes  came  vp  the  fellow  threw  something  from  him  vio- 
lently and  turned  to  defend  inmself. 

He  was  a  short,  stocky  man,  an«l  even  in  the  night  Stokes 
saw  that  he  was  an  Esquimau.  The  latter  put  up  his  hands  and 
put  out  one  foot  in  an  effort  to  trip  his  pursuer,  b.il  with  his 
right  Stokes  beat  down  the  fellow's  guard  and  l.mded  his  left  so 
squarely  upon  his  forehead  that  the  Es(iuimau  staggered  back, 
fell,  and  lay  still. 

"There  is  no  trusting  a  stunned  Esquimau,"  thought  Stokes. 
He  promptly  .stooped  over,  caught  the  Ksciuimau  liy  the  collar 
of  his  jacket  and  dragged  him  across  the  ground  in  the  <lircction 
of  the  object  which  had  been  thrown  away. 

The  detective's  keen  eyes  had  tioliced  what  the  object  was  and 
where  it  f  :il.      It  went  across  the  .street  and  huided  f)n  the  walk. 

Stokes  dragged  the  unconscious  p^squimau  to  the  .spot  and 
picked  up  a  revolver. 

Then  he  yanked  the  E9(iuinmu  to  his  feet  and  was  trying  to 
shake  him  into  consciousness,  when  a  heavy  hand  was  laid  upon 
his  shoulder  and  a  stern  voice  said  : 

"That  will  do,  young  fellow.  I'm  not  going  to  see  an  under- 
sized Esquimau  abused  by  anybody.      I^iCt  him  alone,  will  you?" 

Stokes  found  ?-.imself  hurled  around  and  fuing  a'^-.ide  by  .i 
heavy,  t.all  man,  who  was  not  only  a  stranger  to  him,  but  who 


STOKES  AS  A  WINDOW  BREAKER. 


W 


vas  evidently  not  a  resident,  his  clothing  indicating  that  he  was 
a  recent  arrival  from  the  States. 

In  this  sudden  interference  Stokes  lost  his  grip  upon  the 
Ivs((aituau,  who  w'^s  still  more  than  half  conscious,  and  who. 
staggered  and  would  have  fallen  again  if  the  stranger  had  not 
caughl  and  supported  him. 

"Shooting  irons,  too!"  exclaimed  the  stranger  angrily. 
"Good  Lord!  If  it  hadn't  been  for  n'e  there  would  *•  we  betn 
murder  committed  here.     Now " 

"Oh,  shut  up!"  exclaimed  Stokes,  almost  beside  himself  witU 
rage.  "The  man  you're  helping  was  the  one  who  tried  to  commit 
murder.     You  had  belter  drop  him  or  there  will  be  trouble." 

"Trouble,  eh?"  retorted  the  stranger.  "Why,  you  idiot,  what 
flo  you  think  you  cotild  do?  Drop  that  weapon  there  and  go 
home  where  you  belong.  * ' 

Without  using  any  niore  words  Stokes  dropped  the  Esquimau's 
revolver  at  his  feet,  then  he  raised  both  hands  suddenly  and  the 
stranger  saw  himself  confronted  by  the  gleaming  barrels  of  two 
.-e  vol  vers. 

"They're  self-cockers, "  Stokes  remarked,  coolly.  "Now,  you 
lean  thet  dirty  lump  of  a  man  agin  the  house  thnr  an'  mosey 
out  of  the  way." 

The  stronger  fairly  gasped  with  astonishment,  and  there  is  not 
much  doubt  but  that  he  would  have  obeyed  the  detective's  com- 
mand, but  at  that  moment  Fowler  and  the  others  came  iushing 
out  of  the  building,  where  they  bad  been  holding  their  meeting. 

I''verything  ha<l  happened  •">  »,■...•  ""kly  that  they  had  had  no 
more  time  to  recover  from  their  astonishment  at  Stokes'  exit 
through  the  window,  avvi  hurry  through  the  hallway  to  the 
street. 

"Whj^  hello!"  said  Fowler,  who  came  up  6rst;  "yere's  Mr. 
Hellows!  For  Heaven's  sake,  Stokes,  don't  plug  him  with  lead, 
for  he's  the  feller  we  want  to  sell  our  mine  to." 


So 


BELJ^OWS  SURPRISED  AND  MYSTERIOUS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


BELI-OWS  SURPRISED   AND   MYSTERIOUS. 


'I  don't  care  who  he  is,"  retorted  Stokes.  "Ef  he  don't  look 
sharp  he'll  be  durn  tired  of  the  uiinin'  business  in  Alaska." 

"Ah,  Fowhir!"  exclaitned  Bellows,  "I'm  glad  to  .see  you.  I 
suppose  I've  no  business  to  get  mixed  up  in  frontier  rows,  but  I 
couldn't  .stand  it  when  I  saw  that  ruffian  abusing  an  Esquimau. 
I  demand  that  you  have  him  arrested,  and  I'll  appear  in  court 
against  him  myself  for  carrying  concealed  weapons  and  threaten- 
ing a  citizen.  I  don't  propose  to  be  treated  in  this  way  by  any- 
body." 

"Haw!  haw!"  cried  Payton,  bursting  into  a  loud  laugh. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  demanded  Bellows. 

"Nice  time  you'd  hev, "  said  Payton,  "of  tryin'  to  convict  a 
man  in  this  yere  country  of  carryin'  concealed  weapoi.s.  Why, 
pardncr,  it's  the  otdy  way  thet  \f(i  can  preserve  the  peace." 

During  this  short  dialogue  Stokes  stood  defiantly  in  front  of 
Bellows,  still  holding  his  revolvers  in  his  hands. 

The  Esquimau,  who  had  recovered  consciousness  partially,  had 
his  hands  before  his  face  and  was  leaning  against  the  building. 

"Is  this  the  galoot  thet  did  the  business,  Stokes?"  asked 
Fowler,  poijiti'.,^i  ^o  the  P^squimau. 

"Tliet'shim." 

"Tlien  why  do'i't  you  sock  it  to  him  vi  *•'  a  dose  of  lead  an' 
explain  njatters  afterward 'i"' 

"  'Cause  I  want  him  to  tell  us  about  those  missing  papers," 
was  the  detective's  response. 

"Oh,  ho!  /o'i've  got  an  idee  about  a  clue,  hev  ye?" 

"I  want  the  chance  to  talk  to  thet  feller,"  said  vStokes  ;  "take 
him  inside  before  the  row  brings  anyl)0(1y  around  yere." 

Bellows  caught  the  words  "mi.ssing  papers"  and  suddenly 
became  greatly  interested. 

"Has  this  something  to  do  with  our  business,  Fowler?"  he 
asked. 

"I  reckon  it  has,"  was  the  response.  "An'  we'd  better  adjourn 
back  to  the  office  an'  talk  it  ov'.r. " 

"B  'ore  yon  go,"  said  Stokes,  ])Utting  up  his  own  weapons 
and  again  picking  up  the  revolver  tliat  hud   been  thrown   away, 


BELLOWS  SURPRISED  AND  MYvSlEKlOUS. 


di 


an* 


"  I  just  want  you  to  mulersland  thet  this  gun  was  thrown  away  by 
tlu'  Es(juiinau  when  I  overtook  him;  you  can   see   <'or  yourselves' 
wlieiher  it  has  been  fired  within  a  few  niinutes. " 

He  handed  the  weapon  to  I'ayton,  who  examined  it  and  said: 

"Five  shooter,  one  cartridge  empty,  an'  by  the  feelin'  of  it 
anybody  wouKi  know  thet  it  bed  jest  been  fired." 

"That's  enough,"  huiJ  Stokes.  "Now  take  the  man  inside, 
.'Ml'  we'll  see  wbat  he  sayi  about  it." 

"You  come  in,  too,  Mr.  Bellows, "  said  Fowler;  "you'll  find 
this  interestin'." 

Stokes  took  the  Esquimau  by  one  shoulder  and  I'owler  by  the 
othei.  He  kept  hi!'  hands  before  his  face  and  lield  back,  but  the 
two  pushed  him  along  and  so  conducted  him  across  the  street. 

In  the  doorway  of  the  other  building  was  Murdock.  He  had 
ronie  frotn  the  office  with  his  partners,  br.t  had  not  gone  beyond 
ilie  doot 

He  wa^  ;  I  the  approaching  group,  evidently  as  much  inter- 
ested as  any  one.     Suddenly  he  exclaimed : 

"Why,  durn  me  ef  it  ain't  Cadloo!" 

At  this  the  Es(iuimau  lowered  his  hands  from  his  face  and 
glared  sullenly  from  Murdock  to  those  who  surrounded  him. 

"Know  him,  do  you?"  asked  Stokes. 

"1  should  think  I  did,"  was  Murdock's  answer.  "What  are 
you  ttying  to  do  with  him?" 

"Ask  him  what  he  tried  to  do  to  nie,"  L'tokes  retotted. 

"He  ain't  the  feller  thet  fired  at  you." 

"Ain't,  eh?" 

"Course  not." 

"What  makes  you  so  .sure?" 

"Why,  'cau.se  he's  one  of  us;  he's  the  feller  that  rowed  me 
over  from  Taska  today. " 

'  Oh!" 

Stokes  won  id  have  liked  to  say  more,  for  there  was  a  good  deal 
upon  his  mind  just  then,  but  it  was  natund  for  him  to  keep  bis 
.suspicions  and  thoughts  pretty  much  to  himself. 

He  took  his  hand  from  Cadlno's  shoulder  and  remarked  sim- 
ply: 

"ICf  he  rowed  you  over  perhaps  you  would  like  to  hev  him  row 
you  back.  Ef  yon  do,  you'd  better  keep  your  eyes  on  him,  or 
liL-'ll  get  away  from  you." 

"What  are  you  doir.g  around  yere,  anywaj',  Cadloo?" 
tleinanded  Murdock  in  a  blustering  manner. 

Cadloo  answered  with  a  meaningless  grunt. 

Munlock's  partners  had  cro'. /deil  closely  aiound  the  l-'squimau 
the  nu)ment  it  became  known  who  he  was. 

They  were  considerably  excited,  for  their  confidence  iu  Stokes 


82 


BELIyOWS  SURPRISED  AND  MYSTERIOUS. 


was  increased  by  his  daring  leap  through  the  window  into  th(> 
dark  and  his  speedy  capture  of  the  man  who,  without  doubt,  had 
tried  to  murder  him, 

"Thar' 11  be  one  Esquimau  less  in  Alaska  to-morrow  mornin', 
I  reckon,"  remarked  Payton,  significantly.  "He  ain't  no  friend 
of  yours,  Murdy,  an'  you'd  bettci  not  try  to  back  his  hand." 

"i  ain't  a-backin'  nobo<l3''s  hand, "  remarked  Murdock  in  a 
low  voice,  "but  Cadloo's  a  peaceable  feller,  and  there's  no  sense  in 
gettin'  excited  about  him." 

"Guess  yuu'd  be  excited  ef  you  bed  been  shot,"  retorted  Pay- 
ton. 

"Pooh!"  said  Murdock.  "A  bivllet  thet  misses  ain't  no  worse 
than  a  bullet  thet  ain't  fired.     Nobody's  been  shot," 

"Ain't,  eh?"  exclaimed  Payton.     "Look  at  vStokes'  face," 

All  eyes  were  directed  by  this  at  Stokes,  who  for  the  first  time 
became  conscious  that  blood  was  running  down  his  cheek. 

He  put  up  his  hand  and  felt  the  desh  there, 

"It's  only  a  scratch,"  he  said;  "jest  broke  the  skin,  but  I 
reckon  it's  enough  to  show  thet  the  feller  meant  busiu'  ss. " 

"You  ain't  got  no  call  to  be  around  yere,  Cadloo, "  cried  Mur- 
dock,    "Go  back  to  your  hut." 

With  this  he  took  the  Esquimau  by  the  shoulders,  turned  him 
about,  and  would  have  pushed  him  from  the  door. 

The  Escjuimau,  on  his  part,  was  only  too  ready  to  be  gone,  but 
Stokes  barred  the  way  suddenly  and  of  course  was  backed  up  by 
Murdock's  partners, 

"Cadloo  don't  go  to  his  hut  jest  now,"  said  Stokes,  savagely, 

"He  won't  see  his  hut  agin  nor  daylight  neither,"  added  Pay- 
ton, 

"You  don't  seem  to  undersand,"  said  Fowler,  seriously,  "thot 
Cadloo  is  the  villain  in  this  matter,  and  no  mistake.  You'd  bet- 
ter stop  tryin'  to  defend  him  an'  help  us  get  the  truth  out  of 
him," 

"Oh,  well,  ef  you  think  he's  guilty,"  returned  Murdock, 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "bring  him  in  an*  examine  him." 

He  turned  about  and  walked  back  to  the  oflBce,  the  other  men 
following  him,  with  Cadloo  among  them. 

Bellows,  the  capitalist,  came  la.st.  He  had  become  remarkably 
quiet,  his  blusteting  manner  was  all  gone,  and  he  was  now  watch- 
ing the  detective  keenly. 

"That  broken  window,"  remarked  Stokes  when  they  wer*' 
inside,  "is  goin'  to  let  in  a  lot  of  cold  air,  but  I  reckon  weT 
hev  to  stand  it.  Put  the  feller's  revolver  on  the  tablet'^  This 
last  was  addressed  to  Payton.  who  promptly  obeyed. 

"Is  thet  yours?"  asked  Stokes,  speaking  to  Cadloo, 


BELLOWS  SURPRISED  AND  MYSTERIOUS. 


83 


The  Esquimau  scowled,  looked  hard  at  the  weapon,  and  then 
glanced  uneasily  at  the  men  who  surrounded  him. 

"Speak  up  ef  you  want  to,"  said  Murdock.  "I  ain't  afraid  to 
hev  you  answer  thet  question.  The  gun  is  mine.  Yere's  the 
mate  to  it, " 

With  this  he  took  a  revolver  from  his  belt  and  laid  it  beside 
the  one  on  the  table. 

Stokes  hardly  looked  at  Murdock. 

He  had  a  cool  idea  that  it  would  not  do  for  him  to  form  any 
sus])icions  just  yet. 

"I  don't  like  that  man  Murdock  a  little  bit,"  he  reflected, 
"but  the  fact  thet  Cadloo  had  his  revolver  don't  mean  anything; 
tliat  can  probably  be  explained." 

This  reflection  was  justified  almost  immediately,  for  Murdock 
added : 

"I  gave  Cadloo  one  of  my  guns  this  mornin'  when  I  first  dis- 
covered thet  the  safe  had  been  robbed.  I  didn't  know  but  what 
we  was  goin'  to  hev  to  fight  for  it  with  somebody,  an'  es  he's 
one  of  the  most  faithful  men  thet  t  ^r  worked  for  us  I  counted 
on  his  helpin'  me.    Thet's  all  there     to  thet." 

"What  did  you  fire  at  this  fell:-  fer?"  demanded  Payton, 
who  was  evidently  aching  to  take  part  lu  a  lynching 

The  Esquimau  did  not  reply  at  once,  and  Murdock  spoke  to 
him. 

"Ef  you  are  straight,  Cadlo(>, "  he  said,  "you  know  well 
enough  I'll  stand  up  for  you ;  ef  you  ain't,  there  ain't  uuthin' 
tuat  can  help  you,  and  you'd  better  auswer. " 

"I  no  shoot,"  mutter .'d  the  Esquimau. 

"I  told  you  he  hadn't  anything  to  do  with  it,"  excluin.ed 
Murdock. 

"Oh,  nonsense,"  said  Stokes.  "Here's  your  revolver  thet  you 
say  yourself  you  gave  to  Cadloo,  I  saw  liiui  throw  it  across  the 
street.  He  was  the  only  man  in  the  alley  when  I  jumped  through 
tlie  window,  an'  there's  one  cartridge  empty." 

"What  hev  you  got  to  say  to  thet,  Cadloo?"  asked  Murdock. 

' '  I  walk  by, ' '  replied  the  Esquimau,  evidently  very  much  fright- 
ened. "I  hear  gun;  I  take  out  pistol,  for  I  '  fraid  some  man  shoot 
ine. '  This  man  jump  on  me,  I  get  scared,  throw  gun  away,  an* 
thets  all. 

"How  does  it  happen."  Stokes  asked,  Bnrcastically,  "thet  one 
cartridge  in  the  gun  is  empty?" 

"' shoot  chicken  this  afternoon,"  Cadloo  responded  in  alow 
voice. 

Stokes  looked  contv'mptuously  at   the    K^uimou,  and  every 
■e  in  the  room  was  certain  that  h«  wa-'^  ^ying. 


m 


84 


BELLOWS  SURPRISED  'AND  MYvSTERIOUS. 


•'Perhaps  2  can  straighten  this  out,"  remarked  Bellows,  speak- 
ing for  the  first  time  since  he  had  come  in. 

"I  was  a  little  way  t'rotri  here  and  I  saw  these  two  men  having 
what  looked  like  a  tiji^ht.  They  came  out  from  beyond  the 
shadow  of  the  building  almost  together,  and  one  went  down. 
Then  Mr.  Stokes  grab1)ed  the  other  by  the  collar  and  dragged 
him  across  the  road.  I  was  not  afraid  because  I  thought  it  was  a 
case  of  some  intoxicated  white  man  abusing  an  Esquimau.  1  can 
see  that  I  was  mistaken,  for  I  don't  thinV.  'lere  was  any  doubt, 
from  what  1  heard  since,  that  the  Esqu'r  p"  had  tried  to  kill  this 
man." 

Payton  was  sc  angry  and  excited  that  it  was  all  he  could  do  to 
keep  from  attacking  the  Ks(iuiniau  on  the  .spot. 

" Let  him  alone, "  said  Stokes,  coolly;  "we'll  give  him  one 
more  chance. 

The  Esquimau  looked  as  if  he  was  afraid  that  his  life  was  to  be 
ended  then  and  there,  when  Stokes  sternly  asked : 

"Who  toid  you  to  .shoot  at  me  ?" 

This  question  sin-prised  everybody  in  the  room. 

They  became  death}y  silent,  waiting  for  the  Esquimau's 
answer, 

"I  shoot,"  he  muttered  after  a  restless  glance  around  the  roon:, 
"because  I  think  }'ou  somebody  else;  I  no  know  you;  I  think 
you  somebody,  that's  all." 

"Who  told  you  thar  was  somebody  yere  thet  you  ought  to 
shoot?"  demanded  Stokes  again. 

The  EBcpiimau  shook  his  head  and  trembled  so  violently  that 
he  caught  at  the  table  for  support. 

"Search  him,"  said  Stokes,  "an'  see  ef  he  hes  got  the  missin' 
papers  about  him." 

Payton  and  I'owler  promptly  executed  the  detective's  com- 
mand. 

They  found  nothing  whatever  about  the  Es(piimau  that  con- 
nectetl  him  in  any  way  wiih  the  lobbery. 

"Let's  string  the  murderiu'  galoot  up  'thout  any  more  talk 
'bout  it, "  cried  Payton,  exasperated  by  their  failure  to  get  the 
evidence  they  wish^nl  for. 

"Not  on  your  life!"  exviaimed  Stokes;  "let  him  alone." 

"But  such  fellers  hex  »o  bttsincss  to  live,"  urged  Payton. 

"Thet's  right  'noughl'  Stokes  admitted,  "but  «f  you  want 
me  to  tak  any  hand  in  Iryin'  tofin<l  thosv  pc.pers  you  must  hi  tiiis 
feller  alone  and  don't  ask  me  why,  either." 

He  .spoke  so  rttemly  that  Payton  made  no  further  effort  !• 
excite  his  companions  to  a  lynching. 

He  was  disappointed  and  evidently  could  not  see  what  Stt>kes 
■was  driving  at,  but  his  confidence  in  him  was  unshnken. 


BELLOWS  SURPRISED  AND  MYSTERIOUS. 


85 


"When  you  get  through  with  this  discussion, "  said  Stokes, 
"we'll  hand  Cadloo  over  to  the  barracks,  an'  ef  I  can  attend  to  it 
I'll  see  thet  thar's  a  charge  against  him  on  which  he  can  be 
licld  es  long  es  we  want  him. 

■'Meantinie  I  want  to  get  at  the  lay  of  the  land  on  Taska,  an' 
I  reckon  I'll  go  over  there  to-morrow." 

With  this  he  stooped  over  the  table  and  began  again  to  exam- 
ine the  map  as  quietly  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

He  spent  a  few  minutes  in  this  way  «««king  questions  about 
the  location  of  buildings  upon  the  island,  and  at  last  said  that 
the  only  way  by  which  he  could  get  any  satisfactory  idea  of  fin- 
(.  ase  would  be  by  going  to  the  mine  and  making  an  examination 
ou  the  spot. 

The  question  then  arose  as  to  how  he  could  get  there,  for  the 
only  mode  of  reaching  the  island  was  by  small  boats. 

Payton  thought  that  he  knew  of  a  boat  that  could  be  engaged 
for  the  purpose,  and  at  the  detective's  request  he  went  out  to 
secure  it,  and  a  ciew,  and  have  it  ready  to  sail  in  the  early  morn- 
ing. 

Fowler  suggested  that  they  should  all  go  along,  but  Stokes 
shook  his  head. 

"I'd  rather  be  alone,"  he  said;  *'I  can  get  on  better  at  the 
start  ef  thar's  nobody  with  me.  Vou  see  "  he  added,  as  if  tak- 
ing everybody  into  his  cotifidence,  "thbse  papers  were  taken  by 
somehcHly  who  was  on  the  island  yesterday. 

"Now,  so  fi.L  as  we  know  about  it,  the  only  one  who  left  the 
island  was  Murdock,  yere,  an'  Cadloo. 

"Of  course  Murdock  didn't  take  the  papers '• 

"What's  thet?"  exclaimed  Murdork,  angrily. 

"I'm  simply  arguin'  the  matter,  and  said  of  course  you  didn't 
lake  the  papers,"  replied  Stokes. 

"An'  we've  proven  that  Cadloo  hasn't  got  'cm." 
"You'd  better  not  be  too  fly  with  your  suspicious,  young  fel- 
ler," Murdock  growled. 

"I  hevn't  said  anything  about  suspicions,"  Stokes  responded, 
<|uiftly.  "I'm  simply  tcUin'  you  the  man  who  did  this  business 
is  probably  on  the  island  of  Taska  now,  an'  I  can  probably  get  at 
liim  l)etter  ef  I'm  thar  alone  fer  a  few  hours.  Ef  the  rest  of  you 
conif  on  half  a  day  later  it'll  do  no  haruj. 

"The  only  business  we've  left  to  do  to-night  is  to  see  thet  Cad- 
loo i.s  locked  up. ' ' 

It  was  immediately  arranged  that  Cadloo  should  be  taken  to 
the  barracks,  ajul  th*-  entire  party,  except  Payton,  who  hail  gone 
to  engage  the  boat,  left  the  office  for  tnis  purpose. 

Mellows,  v,''o  had  been  listening  to  the  conversation  very  care- 


86 


BELLOWS  SURPRLSRD  AND  MYSTERIOUS. 


fully,  followed  along  and  took  Stokes  by  the  ami  as  they  left  Ihe 
building. 

The  others,  surrounding  Cadloo,  were  just  in  front, 

"You've  got  n  cool  head,  Mr.  Stokes,."  remarked  Bellows  in 
an  undertone. 

"HevI?"  returned  Stokes. 

"Yes.    And  I  wanted  to  say  two  things  to  you." 

"Fire  away." 

"In  the  first  place,  I  don't  want  you  to  feel  ugly  about  the  way 
I  interfered  with  you  and  the  Esquimau.  I  didn't  know  what 
was  up,  you  see,  and  I  admit  now  that  I  was  mistaken  and  that 
you  were  just  right;  in  fact,  I  admire  your  nerve  and  daring 
immensely." 

"Oh,  well!  thet's  all  right;  say  nothing  more  about  it." 

"I  won't,  but  this  is  the  other  thing. " 

He  halted  and  tapped  Stokes  on  the  clu;st  with  his  forefinger  as 
he  added : 

"I'll  make  it  worth  your  while  if  you  find  those  missing 
papers. ' ' 

"I  don't  suppose  I  know  exactly  what  you  mean,"  Stokes 
responded,  "but  I've  already  told  the  men,  who  are  more  inter- 
ested in  the  papers  than  you  arc,  that  I  would  try  to  find  them, 
and  as  I  understand  it,  my  arrangements  are  with  them  rather 
than  with  you.  I  don't  pretend  to  be  a  professional  detective, 
and  in  any  case,  no  extra  compensation  that  you  could  offer 
would  make  me  work  any  harder  than  I  shall  work  now  for  the 
fun  of  it." 

Bellows  looked  at  him  in  the  utmost  astonishment. 

"Your  language  surprises  me,"  he  said.  "I  thought  you  were 
a  wild  western,  uneducated  cowboy.  And  you  certainly  did  not 
speak  like  that  inside  there." 

"Didn't  I?"  Trim  returned,  with  a  grin.  "Perhaps  I  didn't, 
but  you  see,  when  I'm  with  Romans  I  do  as  Romans  do. 

"What  was  it  you  were  .i[oing  to  say  to  me?" 

Bellows  still  stared  in  astonishment  at  the  detective,  evidently 
finding  it  hard  to  realize  that  the  chap  who  could  fight  so  des- 
perately and  who  was  able  to  lead  these  rough  men  should  at  the 
SAUie  time  be  capable  of  conversing  like  an  educated  gentleman. 

"We  won't  talk  more  about  it  now,  Mr.  Stokes,"  said  Bel- 
lows, presently,  '"but  I  want  you  to  see  me  when  you  get 
through  with  this  undertaking,  and  if  you  fi.nd  tho^  papers  I 
repeat  that  I'll  make  it  worth  your  while." 


A  STRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


87 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  STRANGK    ATTEMPT    AT  CAPTURB. 

Bellows  notlded  mysteriously  and  left  the  party. 

Stokes  continued  with  the  miners  until  they  had  conducted 
Cadloo  back  to  the  barracks. 

Immediately  after  he  went  to  bed  at  his  hotel,  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  as  much  sleep  as  possible  before  what  he  believed 
would  be  a  hard  day's  work. 

At  sunrise  he  was  on  the  river  with  an  Esquimau  for  a  skipper 
— man  and  boat  were  new  to  Stokes. 

During  his  stay  at  Circle  City  he  had  had  occasion  to  engage  a 
boat  for  fishing  and  other  excursions  several  times,  and  generally 
had  used  one  particular  boat  That  craft  now,  however,  was 
away  from  port,  and  he  had  been  obliged  to  take  the  best  that 
was  offered  to  him. 

The  skipper  was,  like  most  of  the  Esquimaux,  a  silent  fellow, 
and  he  appeared  to  understand  less  English  than  most  of  his 
race. 

Stokes  gave  him  scarcely  a  thought,  confining  his  attention 
wholly  to  the  problem  that  would  confront  him  when  he  should 
arrive  at  the  island  of  Taska. 

The  wind  was  not  only  exceedingly  light,  but  it  came  from 
the  north,  so  that  the  little  craft  had  to  make  a  great  many  tacks 
in  order  to  cover  the  course. 

They  had  just  rounded  a  little  island  when  Stokes  saw  a  small 
moving  object  on  the  water  at  a  considerable  distance,  he  strained 
his  eyes  to  dis/inguish  what  it  might  be,  but  for  a  moment  could 
not  make  out  for  a  certainty.    He  turned  to  the  skipper  and  asked : 

"Is  that  a  rowboat  off  there  to  the  northwest?" 

The  skipper  turned  his  head  toward  the  northeast  and  looked 
vacantly. 

"The  otlier  way,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  sharply;  "I  said  to  the 
northwest. ' ' 

The  Esquimau  slowly  turned  his  head,  fixed  his  eyes  upon  the 
distant  boat,  and  then  looked  straight  before  him  without  answer- 
ing 

"Well?"  said  Stokes,  impatiently. . 

"What?"  inquired  the  skipper. 

"I  wked  you  if  you  thought  that  WM  a  rowboat,** 


8d 


A  vSTRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


' '  Mebbe, ' '  wtis  the  unsatisfactory  response. 

"Of  course  it  may  be,  but  do  you  think  it  is?" 

AK'>in  the  lilsciuiniau  looked  at  the  distant  boat,  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  said : 

"Don't  know;  mebbe." 

Stokes  gave  up  in  disgust. 

"The  fellow's  stupid,"  he  thought;  "if  he  thinks  it  is  not  a 
boat  he  might  just  as  well  say  so,  but  it  don't  make  any  differ- 
ence, anyway. 

"There  is  no  reason  why  some  natives  shouldn't  be  out  there 
fishing,  and  that's  probably  the  case,  although  it  does  look  as  if 
the  boat  were  being  .shoved  along  at  a  pretty  rapid  gait." 

Stokes  occasionally  glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  distant 
boat,  if  that  was  what  it  was,  but  paid  no  especial  attention  to 
it,  and  a  little  later  it  vanished  from  view. 

About  midday  Stokes  tried  another  (juestion  on  the  skipper. 

The  detective  had  kept  a  careful  watch  upon  the  course  they 
had  taken,  and  knowing  in  a  general  way  the  distance  to  the 
island  of  Taska,  it  seemed  to  him  with  all  their  windings  that 
the  island  should  be  now  in  sight,  so  he  pointed  to  u  speck  of 
land  far  away  to  the  north  and  asked : 

"Is  that  Taska?" 

The  skipper  shook  his  head. 

"Is  it  in  sight  now?" 

Another  shake. 

"How  far  away  are  we?" 

The  Esquimau  shrugged  his  shoulders,  looked  doubtfully,  and 
answered : 

"Don't  knov;." 

"Can't  you  give  a  guess?" 

Another  shake  of  the  head. 

"Say, "  said  Stokes  after  a  pause,  "do  you  think  we'll  get 
there  to-day?" 

This  question  was  followed  by  a  grunt  which  sounded  as  much 
like  "yes"  as  anything  else,  and  Stokes  had  to  be  sati.sfied  with 
it. 

He  sat  forward  in  the  boat  and  most  of  the  time  kept  his  eyes 
ahead. 

The  wind  was  now  blowing  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  pur- 
sue an  almost  direct  northern  course,  and  after  noting  that  there 
was  a  considerable  stretch  of  open  water  before  them,  across  which 
the  boat  wa*  pointed,  he  stretched  himself  out  iu  the  bottom  of 
the  boat. 

He  had  been  lying  thus  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  the 
irregular  motion  of  the  boat  caused  him  to  look  up  and  around 
quickly. 


A  STRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


a# 


He  saw  at  once  that  the  course  had  been  considerably  changed, 
and  that  they  were  now  heading  directly  for  an  island  that  lay  to 
the  east  of  the  course  which  he  believed  to  be  the  right  one. 

The  change  in  the  motion  of  the  boat  had  been  due  to  cutting 
across  the  water  at  a  different  angle  than  had  been  the  case 
before. 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  "is  that  Taska?" 

A  grunt  from  the  Esquimau  seemed  to  mean  yes,  and  Stokes 
looked  with  lively  interest  at  the  nearing  land. 

"That  doesn't  seem  to  be  like  the  land  described  on  Mur- 
dock's  map, "  thought  Stokes.  "But  I  suppose  it  is,  and  that 
before  long  I  shall  see  the  buildings  connected  with  the  mine." 

A  moment  later  he  said  to  himself: 

"Either  this  is  not  Taska  or  Murdock's  map  is  all  wrong,  for 
according  to  the  map  there  should  be  some  kind  of  a  dock  and 
a  small  building  on  this  southern  shore.  I  can't  see  any  sign  of 
a  dock  now. ' ' 

He  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  the  skipper,  and  saw  that  the 
Kscjuimau  was  holding  the  boat  steadily  on  her  course,  evidently 
with  the  intention  of  landing  upon  this  island. 

"Are  you  sure  that's  Taska?"  Stokes  inquired. 

There  was  again  an  unintelligible  grunt. 

Stokes  might  have  demanded  a  clearer  answer  to  his  question 
if  it  had  not  been  that  just  then  the  boat  heeled  far  over  as  a 
Utile  gust  of  wind  struck  it,  and  for  a  moment  it  rocked  violently. 

Stokes  saw  what  the  trouble  was.  The  water  was  getting  shal- 
low as  they  neared  the  shore,  and  that  made  the  waves  rougher. 
The  land  also  caused  the  wind  to  blow  irregularly,  and  the  skip- 
per apparently  was  not  attending  carefully  enough  to  his  work. 

At  the  same  moment,  too,  the  foresail  sheet  gave  way,  leaving 
the  sail  flapping  and  making  it  pos.sible  that  if  another  gust  of 
wind  should  come  unexpectedly  the  boat  would  capsize. 

Knowing  just  what  had  to  be  done,  Stokes  gave  up  any 
attempt  to  question  the  skipper,  but  crept  out  upon  the  little 
bowsprit,  caught  the  sail  and  with  considerable  difficulty  made 
it  fast  again. 

it  was  the  one  thing  to  do  at  the  time,  and  while  it  was  being 
done  there  was  no  possibility  of  questioning  the  skipper. 

It  took  so  much  time  that  when  at  last  the  sail  was  made  fast 
again  the  boat  was  very  near  the  shore. 

A  glance  in  that  direction  showed  Stokes  that  there  was  a  row- 
boat  hauled  up  on  the  beach. 

This  showed  that  the  land  was  occupied,  and  the  probabilities 
seemed,  therefore,  that  it  really  was  the  island  of  Taska. 

"See  here!"  Stokes  cried,  "where  do  you  intend  to  land?" 


li. 


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A  STRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


"Look  out,"  the  Esquimau  responded;  "we  land  pretty 
quick." 

As  he  said  this  the  skipper  threw  the  helm  over,  and  the  boat 
changed  her  course  so  suddenly  that  Stokes  was  almost  thrown 
ovei  board. 

He  caught  the  main  sheet  and  thus  held  on  for  an  instant, 
silently  growling  at  the  stupidity  of  the  skipper. 

"He  doesn't  seem  to  know  how  to  sail  a  boat,"  Stokes 
thought;  "he'll  have  the  craft  aground  before  he  knows  what's 
happened. ' ' 

The  thought  was  hardly  formed  in  Stokes'  mind  when  the 
boat  did  indeed  go  aground  with  a  jolt  that  threw  the  detective 
upon  his  knees. 

The  Esquimau  let  go  of  the  tiller  and  jumped  into  the  low 
surf. 

' '  Must  pull  ashore  now, ' '  he  cried  as  he  ran  through  the  water 
and  laid  hold  of  the  boat's  prow. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Stokes  would  have  jumped  in 
also  without  any  hesitation  and  would  have  helped  to  bring  the 
boat  toward  the  beach ;  as  it  was,  he  threw  himself  upon  the  seat 
in  the  stern  and  quietly  prepared  both  his  revolvers  for  action. 

He  did  not  like  the  way  his  skipper  acted,  and  it  seemed  to 
him  necessary  to  prepare  for  trouble. 

The  fact  that  Stokes  sat  in  the  stern  enablrd  the  Esquimau  to 
drag  the  boat  several  feet  farther  toward  shore,  and  as  he  was 
doing  this  two  men  came  running  from  among  the  trees  a  little 
way  up  the  island  slope. 

They  were  white  men,  and  none  that  Stokes  had  ever  seen 
before ;  they  stopped  at  the  water's  edge  and  looked  on  for  a 
moment. 

Stokes'  skipper  paused  in  his  work  long  enough  to  wave  his 
arm  toward  the  men,  whereupon  one  of  them  ran  to  the  rowboat 
that  lay  out  of  the  water,  took  a  rope  from  it,  and  tossed  it  to  the 
Esquimau. 

The  latter  made  it  fast  to  a  ring  bolt  in  the  prow  of  the  boat, 
and  the  two  men  on  shore  prepared  to  drag  the  boat  farther  up ; 
it  was  even  then  grating  upon  the  bottom. 

Up  to  this  time  Stokes  had  not  spoken  a  word.  Now  he  sang 
out: 

' '  Hold  on  a  minute !  *  * 

The  men  on  shore  looked  at  him  curiously  and  the  Esquimau 
turned  around  with  an  inquiring  expression. 

"Is  this  the  island  of  Taska?"  :.sked  Stokes. 

At  this  the  Esquimau  quickly  turned  his  head  toward  the 
shore.    The  two  men  who  seemed  to  be  surprised  at  the  question, 


A  STRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


91 


looked  first  at  one  another  and  then  at  the  Esquimau,  and  at  last 
one  of  them  responded: 

"It's  all  right,  stranger.     Come  along!" 

With  this  they  began  to  pull  again, 

"No,  you  don't,"  Stokes  shouted.  "Let  go,  there,  or  there'll 
be  trouble. ' ' 

The  men  paused  an  instant,  and  Stokes  took  pains  to  hold  his 
revolver  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  see  the  gleam  of  its  barrel. 

The  Esquimau  said  something  in  a  low  voice  which  Stokes 
could  not  understand. 

"Yes,  this  is  the  island  of  Taska,  right  enough,  stranger," 
shouted  one  of  the  men. 

The  other  added : 

"You'd  best  let's  drag  you  on  shore,  or  you'll  get  spilt." 

"Well,"  thought  Stokes,  "if  this  is  Taska,  the  less  fuss  I 
make  about  landing  the  better. ' ' 

So  he  leaned  back  in  the  boat  as  it  he  was  satisfied,  and  the 
men  began  to  pull. 

In  two  or  three  seconds  the  boat  was  high  enough  on  the  beach 
to  be  out  of  danger  of  capsizing ;  then  the  two  on  shore  made 
their  end  of  the  rope  fast  around  a  stump  and  stepped  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  where  they  could  climb  on  board  if  they  wished 
to  without  so  much  as  wetting  their  feet. 

Stokes  still  sat  in  the  stern  seat.  They  looked  at  him  expect- 
antly, while  the  Esquimau  stood  with  his  back  to  Stokes. 

The  detective  was  quite  certaixz  that  the  skipper  was  saying 
something  to  the  two  men  in  whispers. 

"If  this  is  Taska,"  said  Stokes,  "thar  must  be  a  mine  around 
here  somewhars,  ain't  thar?" 

" Oh,  yes, "  responded  one  of  the  men,  promptly.  "It's  jest 
over  the  ridge  thar. ' ' 

He  jerked  his  thumb  toward  the  centre  of  the  island. 

"Come  along,  and  we'll  show  it  to  you,"  said  the  other. 

Stokes  slowly  rose  and  walked  toward  the  forward  part  of  the 
boat;  apparently  he  had  put  up  his  revolvers,  for  his  hands 
appeared  to  be  empty. 

The  Esquimau  stood  aside  as  Stokes  approached,  and  the  two 
men  stood  close  to  the  prow  with  their  arms  akimbo. 

Stokes  seemed  to  be  in  no  hurry;  he  paused  a  moment  just 
as  he  came  in  front  of  the  mast  and  asked : 

"How  far  away  is  the  mine?" 

There  was  something  in  the  expression  upon  these  rough  men's 
fnces  to  make  him  feel  that  the  utmost  caution  was  necesvsary. 
His  prudence  was  justified  almost  instantly. 
The  expression  on  one  of  the  men's  faces  changed  to  a  look  of 


92 


A  STRANG]^  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


ferocity  as  he  leaped  toward  the  boat  with  outstretched  arms  and 
cried : 

"Come  ashore,  you  tenderfoot,  an'  we'll  show  you." 

Taking  the  cue  from  his  companion,  the  other  man  also  leaped 
to  the  boat,  and  both  evidently  would  have  laid  violent  hands 
upon  Stokes  and  carried  him  ashore  by  main  force. 

The  detective  stepped  back  with  a  light  laugh,  thus  avoiding 
their  clutch  and,  at  the  same  instant  brought  his  hands  up  and 
down  with  the  motion  so  familiar  to  him,  but  so  startling  to  his 
enemies. 

"I  wouldn't  be  in  a  hurry,"  he  remarked,  grimly,  and  both 
men  seemed  to  conclude  very  suddenly  that  there  was  nothing  to 
hurry  about  so  much  as  getting  out  of  the  range  of  the  two  revol- 
vers that  were  pointed  at  them. 

They  leaped  back  to  shore,  and  as  they  did  so  Stokes  could 
see  that  one  of  them  was  reaching  for  his  belt. 

"Stop  that!"  the  young  fellow  commanded,  and  he  explained 
his  command  by  sending  a  bullet  that  tore  a  hole  in  the  sleeve  of 
the  fellow  who  was  about  to  draw  his  gun. 

This  warning  shot  had  the  desired  effect.  Both  men  stood  still 
and  threw  up  their  hands  without  waiting  for  the  command  to 
do  so. 

"Now,"  said  Stokes,  "you  two  fellows  hev  got  to  speak  the 
truth  or  be  bored  where  you  stand. 

"This  is  not  the  island  of  Taska,  is  it?" 

"No,  'tain't,"  muttered  one  of  the  men. 

"Whar  does  it  lie?" 

"  'Bout  five  miles  to  the  north." 

"Thet's  all  right,  then;  stand  whar  you  are.  You, "  addressing 
his  skipper,  "climb  on  board!" 

Stokes  knew  that  the  Esquimau  was  unarmed  and  too  much  of 
a  coward  to  make  anj'  attempt  at  a  fight. 

The  order  was  obeyed  promptly.  While  the  Esquimau  was  get- 
ting to  his  place  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  Stokes  kept  his  eyes 
and  weapons  upon  the  white  men. 

"Now,"  he  said,  " come  forward,  you  two,  cast  off  this  line 
and  shove  the  boat  out. 

"The  first  sign  that  either  of  you  makes  of  crookedness  will  be 
his  last  move." 

The  men's  swarthy  faces  were  pale  with  fear.  There  could  be 
no  doubt  that  this  stern  young  fellow  on  board  the  little  boat 
meant  what  he  said. 

"  It's  all  a  mistake,  stranger, "  muttered  one  of  them  as  he 
advanced  to  obey  the  command. 

"See  thet  you  make  it  right,  then,"  was  Stokes'  only  response. 


/ 


A  STRANGE  ATTEMPT  AT  CAPTURE. 


93 


He  stood  with  his  back  against  the  mast,  so  that  he  was  out  of 
reach  of  any  treacherous  movement  they  might  make. 

The  line  was  cast  loose  quickly,  and  both  men  put  their  shoul- 
ders to  the  boat's  prow  to  push  it  back  into  the  water. 

As  the  tidj  was  rising  and  the  boat  was  light,  there  was  no 
great  difficulty  in  effecting  this;  so  that  in  a  few  seconds  the 
craft  floated  again  and  the  sail  caught  the  wind. 

Stokes  turned  as  the  boat  filled  away  so  as  to  keep  his  revolvers 
])ointed  toward  the  white  men ;  he  stood  thus  withou';  asking 
(juestions  or  giving  «ny  farther  commands  until  the  boat  had 
gone  so  far  from  shore  as  to  be  out  of  range  of  pistol  shot. 

"Now,  then,"  he  said,  sitting  down  upon  the  forward  deck 
and  addressing  the  skipper,  "you  make  for  the  island  of  Taska, 
and  if  the  next  land  you  strike  is  not  the  right  place  your  voyage 
will  stop  there;  you'll  die  of   an  overdose  of  lead,  understand?" 

The  Esquimau  shivered.  It  was  plain  enough  that  he  under- 
stood his  passenger's  threat. 

"All  a  mistake,"  he  muttered. 

Stokes  grunted  contemptuously  and  made  no  response. 

"There's  been  some  treachery  at  work  here,"  he  said  to  him-. 
self,  "and  the  time  will  come  when  I  shall  find  out  all  about  it 
and  learn  something  about  the  real  character -of  those  men  on 
that  little  island." 

From  that  time  on  the  skipper  made  a  straight  course,  and 
late  in  the  afternoon  a  lauding  was  made  at  Taska. 


■■'ir 


94 


AN  EXPIyOD^D  SAFB. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AN   EXPI^ODED  SAFE. 

A  group  of  laborers,  white  men  and  Esquimaux,  gathered  at 
the  rough  dock  as  the  boat  approached. 

Most  of  them  spoke  to  the  skipper  familiarl)',  as  if  they  knew 
him,  and  all  of  them  eyed  the  passenger  curiously. 

"  Well,  boys, "  said  Stokes  in  an  offhand  way,  as  he  stepped 
ashore,  "  this  yere  is  the  island  of  Taska,  I'm  told,  and  I  hear 
thet  thar's  a  mine  somewhars  around  yere  thet  can  be  bought  for 
good  money." 

The  men  heard  him  in  silence,  and  there  was  a  considerable 
pause  before  anybody  responded.  At  last  one  of  the  white  men 
said : 

"We  reckon  you'll  find  the  man  you  want  to  talk  business  to 
up  to  the  super's  ofiBce. ' ' 

This  struck  Stokes  as  being  rather  a  curious  remark,  and  in 
fact  the  action  of  the  entire  party  seemed  to  him  to  be  peculiar. 

"Whar  is  the  super's  office?"  he  asked. 

He  knew,  in  fact,  exactly  where  it  was,  because  his  study  of 
Murdock's  map  made  him  familiar  with  the  little  island. 

"Over  the  hill  thar, "  the  men  replied,  pointing  inland. 

"Show  me  the  way,  will  you,  pardner?"  Stokes  asked, 
addressing  this  question  to  one  of  the  men  who  to  his  keen  eye 
seemed  most  likely  to  prove  a  useful  acquaintance. 

"We'll  all  go  along  witli  you  together,"  this  man  responded, 
and  they  did. 

Stokes  and  the  man  to  whom  he  had  spoken  went  ahead,  and 
the  rest  trailed  on  behind. 

"Kind  of  a  lonesome  spot  up  yere,  "said  Stokes,  by  way  of 
beginning  conversation. 

"Kind  of,"  ws  the  only  reply. 

"Hev  any  difficulty  of  gettin*  supplies  from  Circle  City  in 
the  winter  months?" 

"Some." 

"Any  good  shootin' yereabout?" 

"Duck  an'  other  water  fowl." 


AN  EXPLODED  SAFE. 


95 


"Don't  you  get  snowed  in  sometimes  in  the  winter?" 

"Some." 

"Well,"  thought  Stokes,  "there's  no  use  tryin'  to  get  much 
out  of  this  feller,  at  least  not  now.  Perhaps  the  row  that  Mur*. 
dock  kicked  up  here  yesterday  morning  has  scared  them  all. ' ' 

They  walked  on  a  few  paces  in  silence,  and  then  Stokes,  wh< 
had  quietly  counted  the  men  in  the  group,  asked : 

"Are  all  the  men  who  work  in  the  mine  yere  now?" 

"Most  of  'em,"  was  the  unsatisfactory  reply. 

Just  then  they  came  to  top  of  the  hill,  and  Stokes  saw  a  man 
approaching  them  slowly  from  the  direction  of  the  superinten- 
dent's oflQce. 

In  an  instant  Stokes  understood  what  had  happened  to  make 
the  miners  so  dumb. 

The  man  approach  ng  them  was  Murdock. 

"He  has  stolen  a  march  on  me,"  thought  Stokes;  "now, 
there  is  something  crooked  in  that  fellow,  or  I've  no  business  to 
take  this  kind  of  a  job. 

Murdock  quickened  his  pace  when  he  saw  the  group  approach- 
ing and  came  up  with  a  pretense  at  friendliness. 

"Hello,  Stokes!"  he  said.     "I  got  yere  ahead  of  you. 

' '  I  see  you  did, ' '  Stokes  responded. 

"You  came  in  a  slow  boat,"  continued  Murdock,  "an*  I  tell 
you  in  this  kind  of  weather  sails  ain't  no  account  compared  with 
oars. ' ' 

' '  Did  you  row  yourself  ?' ' 

"Oh,  no!     I  hired  an  Esquimau  to  do  thet." 

' '  How  long  hev  you  been  yere  ?' ' 

"About  two  hours. " 

vStokes  was  disgusted  and  disappointed.  He  had  hoped  that  he 
could  make  an  investigation  on  the  spot  without  letting  any  of 
the  men  on  the  island  suspect  what  he  was  up  to. 

Now  he  feit  certain  that  Murdock  had  informed  them  of  his 
coming,  and  that  this  explained  their  curiosity  and  silence. 

Murdock  turned  around  and  walked  beside  Stokes,  while  the 
others  fell  back. 

' '  I  hope  you've  not  given  your  men  the  tip  thet  I  was  comin'  ?' ' 
said  Stokes  in  a  low  voice.  ' '  I  told  you  I  wanted  to  start  in 
alone." 

"Oh,  I  hevn't  said  a  word,"  replied  Murdock.  "I've  kept 
just  es  mum  es  an  oyster.  Probably  they  think  you 're  some  feller 
with  a  roll  es  wants  to  buy  the  mine,  see?" 

' '  All  right, ' '  Stokes  responded,  but  he  added  to  himself : 

"Murdock  takes  too  much  pains  to  tell  me  thet  he  hesn't 
given  these  fellers  the  tip.  He's  crooked  somehow,  es  sure  as  a 
gun." 


96 


AN  EXPI.ODED  SAFB. 


"Well,"  said  Stokes,  aloud,  after  a  moment,  "I'll  tell  you 
frankly  thet  I'm  sorry  you  came  up,  but  thet  can't  be  helped 
now." 

"Why,  I  ain't  goin'  to  stand  in  your  way!"  protested  Mur- 
dock.     ' '  I  thought  likely  es  how  I  could  help  you  a  bit. ' ' 

"Did  the  others  know  you  were  comin'  ?", 

"Certainly.  Fowler  and  the  rest  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
idee,  so  I  started  after  you  did,  knowin'  well  enough  by  the  way 
the  winds  were  I  would  get  yere  ahead  of  you." 

"I  don't  believe  it,"  thought  Stokes, 

"Anything  happened?"  he  asked,  aloud. 

' '  Not  a  thing.  The  men,  of  course,  know  thar  was  a  robbery, 
an'  thet  it's  a  serious  thing,  for  I  made  thet  clear  enough  yester- 
day mornin',  but  so  far  es  I  know  thar  hes  been  nothin'  found; 
the  safe  an'  tie  office  is  just  es  I  left  'em." 

"Hes  anybovly  left  the  island?" 

"Not  a  soul." 

By  this  time  they  arrived  at  the  superintendent's  office,  and 
Murdock  led  the  way  inside. 

It  was  a  small  building,  a  story  and  a  half  in  height,  and 
there  was  only  one  room  upon  the  ground  floor. 

At  one  side  there  was  a  shed  which  answered  to  the  room 
beside  the  safe  referred  to  by  Murdock  when  he  was  explaining 
the  robbery  to  his  partners. 

It  was  the  room  in  which  he  had  said  that  he  had  passed  the 
night. 

The  office  was  furnished  with  an  ordinary  plain  table  and  two 
or  three  chairs,  and  a  small  old-fashioned  iron  safe  was  the  only 
other  article  of  importance  in  the  room. 

"Thar's  the  article  you're  interested  in,"  Murdock  remarked, 
pointing  to  the  safe. 

Stokes  approached  it  and  knelt  down. 

It  was  evident  that  the  lock  had  been  blown  to  pieces  by 
blasting  powder.  The  charge  had  been  a  small  one,  just  suffi- 
cient to  dislocate  the  bolts  and  the  combination  apparatus. 

A  small  hole  had  been  drilled  in  from  the  outside,  through 
which  apparently  the  powder  had  been  poured. 

"It  is  plain  enough  how  it  was  done,  you  see,"  Murdock  said, 
and  he,  too,  knelt  beside  the  safe. 

"You  probably  know  thet  the  workiw'  of  a  steel  drill  wouldn't 
make  any  noise,  an'  in  consequence  I  didn't  hear  it.  At  any 
rate,  I  slept  right  through  it  all,  and  es  for  the  blast  itself,  why, 
I  reckon  thar  wasn't  powder  enough  used  to  make  much  of  a 
racket,  'specially  when  you  consider  thet  the  sound  of  it  would 
be  deadened  when  it  went  off  on  the  inside  of  the  safe." 
"I  see,"  Stokes  responded. 


AN  EXPLODED  SAFE; 


9^ 


Murdock  went  on  talking,  saying  nothing  new  and  repeating 
in  one  way  and  another  how  the  job  must  have  been  done. 

Stokes  let  him  talk  for  a  while  and  then  asked: 

"Whar  are  the  tools  with  which  the  job  was  done?" 

"You  mean  the  drill?"  Murdock  asked.     "I  give  it  up." 

Stokes  stood  ixp  and  looked  around  the  rboni. 

In  a  corner  on  the  floor  was  a  small  pile  of  quartz  that  had 
been  blasted  from  the  mine.  The  pieces  of  rock  were  kept  here, 
apparently,  to  exhibit  to  visitors,  for  it  was  evident  at  a  glance 
tint  they  contained  ore  in  considerable  quantities. 

"Suppose  you  look  around  and  see  ef  you  can  find  the  drill," 
said  Stokes;  "it  might  be  among  thi  ie  stone  thar. " 

"I  reckon  not,"  Murdock  replied,  doubtfully,  but  he  neverthe- 
less went  to  the  quartz  and  began  to  pill  it  over. 

The  moment  he  was  thus  occupied  Stokes  stooped  over  again 
opposite  the  safe,  and  taking  a  slender  lead  pencil  from  his 
pocket  inserted  it  in  the  hole  that  had  been  drilled  into  the  iron 
door  just  below  the  lock. 

It  was  the  work  of  a  second,  but  it  meant  a  great  deal  to  the 
detective. 

When  the  lead  pencil  had  '.  -een  pushed  into  the  end  of  the 
hole,  Stokes  closed  his  thumb  and  forefinger  upon  it  at  the  point 
where  it  came  out  from  the  safe;  then  he  drew  out  the  pencil,  and 
holding  his  finger  and  thumb  in  the  same  place,  laid  the  pencil 
against  the  iron  door. 

This  proved  what  he  had  already  suspected. 

Tbe  hole  was  not  drilled  far  enough  into  the  iron  to  reach  the 
cavity  id  which  the  lock  was  placed. 

In  other  words  no  powder  could  have  been  poured  into  the  safe 
through  that  hole,  and  Stokes  instantly  concluded  that  the  hole 
had  been  diilled  after  the  explosion  and  not  before  it. 

"Crooked,  crooked,  crooked,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  placed 
his  pencil  in  his  pocket. 

Murdock,  who  had  not  noticed  the  operation,  at  this  moment 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  took  a  small  drill  and  bit 
stock  from  underneath  the  quartz,  and  said : 

"By  gum,  Stokes,  you  hit  it  right." 

The  detective  smiled. 

' '  That  was  a  pretty  good  guess, ' '  he  said  to  himself. 

Stokes  took  the  drill  from  Murdock's  hands  and  examined  it 
carefully. 

He  put  his  fingers  on  the  tip  of  the  drill.  He  could  not  be 
certain  about  it,  but  it  did  seem  as  if  the  drill  was  warmer  than 
a  bit  of  unused  steel  ought  to  be  lying  iu  that  room  where  there 
was  no  fire. 

"If  I'm  not  mistaken,"  he  said  to  himself,  "this  drill  has  not 


9S 


AN  EXPLODED  SAFE. 


yet  cooled  of!  from  the  heat  it  took  on  while  making  that  hole  in 
the  safe. 

"I  can't  be  certain  about  it,  however,  and  I  miisn't  make  any 
mistake  by  jumping  before  I  know  where  I'm  going  to  land. 

"Suppose,  as  I  suspect,  that  Murdock  took  those  papers  and 
that  he  drilled  this  hole  afterward  to  make  it  appear  that  the  safe 
had  been  robbed,  what  then  ? 

"Why,  in  the  first  place,  he  isn't  going  to  own  up  to  it,  and  if 
he's  got  the  papers  concealed,  he  isn't  going  to  tell  where  tlie 
papers  are  or  give*  them  up. 

"I'm  not  going  to  gain  anything  by  letting  him  see  that  I  sus- 
pect him  or  that  I  doubt  his  word. 

"Besides  all  that,  I  may  be  mistaken.  In  any  case,  it  don't 
stand  to  reason  that  those  papers  are  at  the  present  moment  any- 
where on  this  island  where  they  can  be  easily  found. " 

While  thinksng  thus,  Stokes  was  examining. the  drill.  After 
a  time  he  handed  it  back  to  Murdock  and  remarked: 

"I  believe  you  said  that  nobody  had  left  the  island?" 

"Thet's  right." 

"Well,  then  this  thing  must  have  been  done  by  somebody  who 
is  now  on  the  island,  and  unless  the  robber  came  yere  in  the 
night  in  a  boat  an'  went  away  again  immediately  after  crackin' 
the  safe. ' ' 

"Thet's  quite  likely,"  said  Murdock,  eagerly. 

"I  don't  think  so,"  Stokes  returned,  coolly. 

"It  isn't  likely, "  Murdock  persisted,  "thet  any  of  these  men 
would  dare  blow  up  the  safe  with  me  sleepin'  right  alongside  of  it. " 

"No,  but  somebody  dared, "  said  Stokes.  "Hevall  the  men 
lined  up  in  front  of  the  office  and  let  me  look  'em  over  '* 

"All  of  'em?" 

"Yes.." 

**i.  don't  know  es  they  are  all " 

Murdock  hesitated. 

"Some  of  'em  may  be  in  the  shaft  now,"  he  added,  awk- 
wardly. 

"Send  for 'em,  then." 

Murdock  placed  the  drill  upon  the  table  and  left  the  office. 

The  group  of  workmen  were  still  in  front  of  the  little  building. 
Stokes  had  seen  at  the  start  that  there  were  six  white  men  and 
five  Esquimaux  among  them. 

He  saw  Murdock  go  out  and  give  a  command  to  one,  who  hur- 
ried away  itf  the  direction  of  the  shaft;  a  moment  later  this  one 
returned  in  company  with  three  Esquimaux;  when  they  were  on 
hand,  Murdock  came  in  and  said- 

"Thar  you  are,  Stokes;  thet's  the  whole  population  of  Taska 
outside  waitin'  for  you  to  lo  A  at  'em. 


)> 


A  FROZEN  THUMB  FOR  A  PI^UG. 


^9 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A   FROZEN   THUMB   FOR  A  PI,UO, 

Stokes  went  to  the  door  and  glanced  at  the  men. 

"You  see  they  are  all  yere, "  Murdock  said  nervously. 

"Yes,"  said  Stokes.  "I  remember  you  said  last  night  thet 
that  were  nine  Esquimaux  and  six  white  men  beside  yourself  on 
the  island." 

"Thet's  it." 

"An'  I  see,"  Stokes  continued,  "thet  thar  are  six  white  men 
yere  and  eight  Esquimaux." 

"Exactly,"  Murdock  responded,  with  some  eagerness,  "an* 
the  missin'  one,  of  course,  is  Cadloo,  who's  locked  up  in  the  bar- 
racks. ' ' 

'Thet's  right, "  Stokes  responded ;  "but  whar's  the  chap  who 
rowed  you  over  to-day?" 

"Who?" 

"Whar's  the  man  that  rowed  you  over?" 

"Why,"  Murdock  replied,  "he  must  have  gone  back.** 

Stokes  looked  sharply  at  Murdock  and  then  said: 

"Stay  yere  a  minute!"  and  left  the  office. 

Murdock  would  have  followed,  but  Stokes  closed  the  door  in 
such  a  way  that  Murdock  was  left  inside.  Speaking  quickly,  so 
that  Murdock  might  not  have  time  to  interrupt,  Stokes  said : 

"Which  of  you  rowed  Mr.  Murdock  up  here  to-day?" 

"Me,"  said  one  of  the  Esquimaux,  promptly. 

"Come  yere!" 

The  Esquimau  stepped  from  the  line  readily  and  approached 
Stokes.  The  latter  opened  the  door  of  the  office  and  told  the 
Esquimau  to  step  inside. 

Murdock  scowled  darkly  at  this  maneuvre,  but  presently  recov- 
ered his  presence  of  mind  and  exclaimed,  as  if  in  great  surprise: 

"Great  Scott!  but  these  Equimaux  look  so  much  alike  thet  I 
didn't  notice  thet  fellow  who  rowed  me  was  in  the  gang  thar. " 

"Well,  you  recognize  him  now,  don't  you?"  asked  Stokes, 
shai-ply. 

"Yes,  I  do. '» 

"And  you  know  what  thet  means?" 

"I  don't  know  whether  I  do  or  not** 


lOO 


A  FROZEN  THUMB   FOR  A  PLUG. 


Murdock  said  this  in  rather  a  savage  tone,  and  Stokes 
respoiid'-d,  quietly: 

"You  needn't  get  hot  aboiij^it  ef  you  would  help  me  es  you  say 
you  are " 

"Well,  Ibe, "  interrupted  Murdock. 

"All  right,  then;  tell  me  where  your  missing  man  is." 

"Missin*  man?"  repeated  Murdock,  blankly.  « 

' '  Certainly.  Thar  should  be  eight  Esquimaux  in  youi  company, 
besides  the  one  who  rowed  you  here,  you  understand  ?" 

"Well,  let's  see,"  hesitated  Murdock.  "Thar's  Cadloo,  and 
he's  now  behind  the  bars " 

"Come!    come!"  interrupted  Stokes,  impatiently.     "It  don't 
need  no  figurin'  to  show  thet  thar's  a  man  gone  out  of  this  lot; 
nor  was  he  gone  when  you  came  yere. ' ' 
,"I  s'pose  he  must  hev  been,"  said  Murdock,  slowly. 

"Who  was  he,  then?  What's  his  name  and  what  hes  he  gone 
for?" 

Murdock  opened  the  door  and  looked  out  at  the  waiting  group. 

"He  acts,"  thought  Stokes,  "es  ef  he  was  try  in'  to  light  for 
time." 

Murdock  stood  in  tlie  door  for  a  moment  and  then  said : 

"Boys,  Where's  Amorak?" 

The  men,  Esquimaux  and  whites  as  well,  looked  at  each  other 
without  replying. 

"Whar's  Amorak?"  repeated  Murdock. 

The  Esquimaux  stood  motionless  anr  he  whites  shifted  about 
uneasily ;  at  last  one  of  them  said :  "1  dunno, ' '  and  he  glanced 
queerly  at  Stokes,  who  was  looking  at  them  from  beside  Mur- 
dock. 

"See  here,  Murdock,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  sternly,  "this  farce 
hes  got  to  come  to  an  end!  One  of  your  men  is  missin'  and  he's 
got  to  be  found. 

•'I'm  in  this  business  to  find  him  and  themissin'  papers  which 
I  believe  are  in  his  possession.  Ef  you  don't  care  to  help  to  find 
him,  I'll  go  about  it  my  own  way." 

"By  thunder,  Stokes,  I  think  you're  right!"  cried  Murdock, 
changing  his  whole  manner.  "It's  Amorak  who  did  this  whole 
business,  and  no  mistake.  I  hadn't  thought  of  it  before,  but  jest 
now  its  come  over  me.     Come  inside,  an'  I'll  tell  you, " 

He  pushed  the.  boatman  from  the  room  and  closed  the  door, 
and  continued,  excitedly : 

"Amorak  is  Cadloo's  brother!" 

"Indeed!" 

'*' Certainly.  And  Amorak  is  the  only  feller  among  the  work- 
men who's  at  all  mischievous. 

"We  never  hed  much  to  complain  of  about  him,  but  I  do 


see 


?" 


A  1»kOZUN  thumb  for  A  PI,UG. 


loi 


ninember  tbet  he's  appeared  rtiscontcnted  lately;  he  wanted  more 
wages  an'  wanted  to  get  a  month's  advance,  and  so  on. 

"I  conldn't  advance  him  any  stuff,  an'  thet  probably  explains 
why  he  took  to  stealin'.     Now,  then,  don't  you  see?" 

Murdock  became  quite  excited  as  he  continued  his  argument. 

"Amorak  probably  did  this  business,  and  gave  the  tip  to  Cad- 
loo  before  we  started  for  Circle  City.  Then,  don't  you  see,  Cad- 
loo,  knowin'  a  detective  was  engaged  to  investigate  the  matter, 
thought  thet  he  must  put  you  out  of  the  way  to  save  his  brother, 
see?" 

vStokes  was  not  at  all  convinced  by  this  argument,  but  he  felt 
that  there  was  at  least  this  in  it:  that  the  missing  man,  Amorak, 
had  possession  of  the  papers. 

"It  don't  make   any  difference   now,"  he   thought,  "whetliw 
Cadloo  was  trying  to  defend  his  brother,  or  whether  he  was  pu'  up 
to  the  job  by  somebody  else,  but  the  fact  seems  to  be   pr     y  cer 
tain  that  Amorak  has  gotten  away  with  those  papers. 

"The  thing  fr       'to  do,  then,  is  to  6nd  Amorak." 

Aloud  he  said : 

"You  \.  v.it  to  stir  around  lively  now  and  find  where  your  man 
Amorak  has  gone." 

Murdock  immediately  dashed  out  of  doors  and  questioned  his 
men  excitedly. 

Stokes  followed  him,  and  speedily  learned  that  Amorak  had 
left  the  island  two  or  three  hours  before. 

vSotne  of  the  men  seemed  to  think  that  he  had  gone  previously 
to  Murdock' s  return,  others  that  he  had  gone  just  after  it. 

The  one  fact  that  was  certain  was  that  Amorak  had  started  in  a 
rowboat,  and  had  headed  toward  a  point  on  the  mainland  a  few 
miles  away  where  there  was  a  small  Esquimau  settlement  called 
Vilnak. 

Stokes  made  certain  that  Amorak  had  gone  alone;  then  he 
said  to  Murdock : 

"I'm  goin'  to  this  town  of  Vilnak  right  away." 

With  this  Stokes  started  back  toward  the  dock  where  he  had, 
left  his  boat  and  his  skipper  in  charge  of  it. 

He  had  gone  but  a  few  paces  before  he  halted  and  remarked: 

"Thar's  no  wind  at  all  now,  and  my  boat  is  too  big  for  row- 
ing.    I  suppose  you've  got  plenty  more  yere?" 

"Oh,  3'es,"  replied  Murdock;  "we  can  fix  you  out  with  a  boat 
easy  enough." 

"Do  it,  then,  and  give  me  a  man  who's  a  g.'^od  oarsman." 

Murdock  seemed  to  be  very  much  in  earnest  now.  He  hurried 
around  giving  orders  to  the  various  men,  who  started  away  to 
execute  them. 

"The  boat  will  be  ready  for  you  in  ten  minutes,  Stokes,"  Mur- 


i  -ii 


I02 


A  iJiOZEN  THUMB    FOR  A  PLUG. 


dock  said,  presently.  "Better  come  in  and  get  a  bite  of  sumthin' 
to  eat  before  you  start.  "  . 

"I'm  not  hungry,"  Stokes  responded.  "I  had  all  I  wanted  on 
board." 

"Well,  but  come  into  the  office  a  minute,"  Murdock  insisted. 
"I  want  to  show  you  something." 

"Will  it  take  ten  minutes  to  get  a  boat  ready?"  Stokes  asked. 

"Yes,  about  thet.  I  want  to  give  you  the  best  boat  we've  got, 
and  thar's  some  things  in  it  thet  will  hev  to  be  unloaded.  You'll 
save  time  by  takin'  thet  boat,  for  it's  the  fastest  one  in  the  lot." 

Stokes  was  sorry  that  there  should  be  any  delay  whatever,  but 
as  long  as  he  was  going  to  get  a  swift  boat  that  would  save  him 
time  in  the  long  run  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait. 

So  he  went  into  the  office  again. 

"What  do  you  want  to  show  me?"  he  asked. 

"Why, "  said  Murdock,  "thar's  the  safe  right  in  thet  comer, 
an'  this  door  yere  leads  into  the  shed  whar  my  bunk  is. " 

Murdock  opened  the  shed  door  and  showed  Stokes  his  sleeping 
quarters. 

"Now,  then,"  Murdock  continued,  "you  can  see  just  how 'tis. 
I'm  a  sound  sleeper,  an'  'twould  be  easy  enough  for  Amorak, 
who  knows  the  lay  of  the  land  perfectly,  to  come  in  yere  an'  drill 
thet  hole;  then  he  could  touch  off  the  charge  and  skip  out  until 
he  could  see  whether  the  noise  woke  me  up,  an'  the  blast  goin' 
off  on  the  inside  of  the  safe,  you  see,  would  not  make  much  of  a 
noise,  anyway " 

"You've  told  me  all  this  before,"  interrupted  Stokes. 

"Well,  perhaps  I  hev,  but  I  wanted  you  to  be  satisfied." 

"I  am  satisfied,"  Stokes  responded.  "I  reckon  I'll  go  down  to 
the  boat  and  help  'em  unload. 

"I  don't  believe  thar's  no  good  of  hurryin',"  Murdock 
remarked. 

Stokes  believed  that  there  was  need  of  hurry.  He  left  the 
office  and  walked  rapidly  up  the  slope,  from  the  top  of  which  he 
could  see  two  Esquimaux  at  work  in  a  small  boat  that  was  lying 
half  out  of  the  water.  No  others  of  the  men  were  in  that  vicin- 
ity. 

Murdock,  who  had  come  along  behind  Stokes,  shouted, 
loudly : 

"Are  you  most  ready,  thar?" 

The  Esquimaux  looked  up,  threw  one  or  two  articles  out  of  the 
boat,  and  pushed  it  into  the  water. 

Stokes  ran  down  the  hill  and  got  into  the  boat  at  once.  One 
of  the  Esquimaux  sat  in  the  middle  seat  with  the  oars  in  his 
hand. 


i"g, 


A  FROZEN  THUMB   FOR  A  PI.UG. 


103 


"Now  you're  off,"  said  Murdock,  and  he  gave  the  boat  a  shove 
which  sent  it  several  feet  from  "the  shore. 

The  Esquimau  began  rowing  at  once  as  Murdock  called  after 
them : 

"Good  luck  to  you!     I  hope  you'll  find  Amorak!" 

"You  row  as  fast  as  you  can,"  said  Stokes  to  his  oarsman, 
"an'  I'll  give  you  more  money  when  we  get  to  Vilnak  than  you 
ever  saw  before  in  your  life. " 

The  Esquimau  looked  at  Stokes  in  what  seemed  to  be  a  fright- 
ened way  and  responded  in  a  grunt. 

He  was  rowing,  at  the  time,  apparently  as  hard  as  he  could, 
and  the  boat  was  making  good  progress. 

Stokes  looked  over  his  shoulder,  and  saw  that  TVIurdock  and 
the  other  Esquimau  were  making  their  way  up  the  hill.  A 
moment  later  they  had  got  beyond  the  summit. 

Stokes  looked  across  the  water  toward  the  shore,  and  then 
again  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  island  of  Taska. 

He  was  thinkiug  over  the  many  things  that  Murdock  had  said 
and  done  and  was  beginning  to  wonder  if  it  were  not  possible 
that  Murdock  had  sent  him  off  on  a  wild-goose  chase  after  this 
man  Amorak,  when  suddenly  the  oarsman  gave  a  cry  of  alarm 
and  began  to  change  the  direction  of  the  boat. 

"What's  the  matter?"   said  Stokes,  facing  about. 

The  Esquimau  did  not  stop  rowing,  but  glanced  down  at  the 
bottom  of  the  boat. 

Stokes  looked,  too,  and  saw  that  the  craft  was  leaking  rapidly. 
Water  was  already  over  the  soles  of  his  boots. 

"We  drown!"  cried  the  Esquimau,  excited.  "Boat sink  before 
we  get  two  mile. ' ' 

The  oarsman  was  putting  the  boat  about  with  the  intention  of 
returning  to  the  island. 

"Hold  on  a  minute!"  cried  Stokes.  "Keep  the  course  as 
she  is. " 

"We  drown!"  repeated  the  Esquimau. 

"Well,  if  we  drown,"  returned  Stokes,  "we'll  drown  together. 
Head  for  yonder  shore,  you  rascal,  or  I'll  blow  your  brains  out." 

The  Esquimau  utte- -d  a  cry  of  horror  as  he  saw  his  passenger 
aiming  a  revolver  at  him. 

"We  drown!  we  drown!"  he  stammered,  but  he  kept  on  row- 
ing, nevertheless. 

"Head  for  Vilnak!"  Stokes  commanded,  sternly. 

The  Esquimau,  who  was  trembling  with  excitment  and  fear, 
obeyed. 

As  soon  as  the  boat  was  again  directed  on  its  proper  course, 
Stokes  knelt  upon  the  bottom  and  felt  with  his  bare  hand  along 


104 


V  FROZEN  THUMB  FOR  A  PLUG. 


the  planks  for  the  leak.  He  had  already  suspected  what  was  the 
matter,  and  presently  his  fingers  came  upon  an  auger  hole. 

"That  was  what  was  the  matter,  "he  said  to  himself.  "I 
know  I'm  on  the  right  track  now.  Amorak  has  got  those  papers. 
Murdock  knows  it! 

' '  He  wants  to  give  Amorak  as  good  a  start  of  me  as  possible, 
and  for  that  reason  he  had  a  hole  bored  through  the  bottom  of 
this  boat  so  that  we  should  have  to  lose  half  an  hour  or  so  in  turn- 
ing to  shore  to  get  a  new  one. 

' '  All  right,  Mr.  Murdock.  Now  that  I  know  that  the  papers 
are  not  on  the  islai.d  of  Taska,  but  are  in  the  possession  of  this 
man  Amorak,  I'm  not  going  ashore  even  if  the  boat  has  been 
scuttled. ' ' 

Thinking  thus  and  watched  with  growing  alarm  by  the  excited 
Esquimau,  Stokes  was  feeling  farther  along  the  planking. 

He  feared  that  he  might  find  a  second  auger  hole,  in  which 
ca.«5e  his  plan  for  continuing  the  journey  would  be  upset. 

He  did  not  find  one. 

His  haste  in  leaving  the  office  had  prevented  the  Esquimau 
from  boring  more  than  one  hole. 

While  he  was  thus  searching  he  had  not  been  able  to  give  his 
attention  to  the  oarsman,  and  when  he  looked  up  again  he  saw 
that  the  Esquimau  was  making  another  attempt  to  put  the  boat 
about  and  head  for  Taska. 

Again  Stokes  brought  his  revolver  into  play. 

"You  make  for  Vilnak, "  he  cried,  "or  I'll  stuff  a  part  of  your 
worthless  body  into  this  hole!" 

There  was  not  enough  water  in  the  boat  at  that  time  to  make 
any  very  great  difference  in  her  speed,  but  there  was  quite  enough 
to  chill  the  passenger  as  he  knelt  in  it. 

He  had  thrust  his  left  thumb  into  the  auger  hole,  while  in  his 
right  hand  he  held  the  revolver  pointed  at  the  oarsman. 

"Now,"  said  Stokes,  "there's  no  more  water  coming  into  this 
boat.  If  you  capsize  her  or  play  any  trick  on  me,  I'll  put  a  bul- 
let into  you  before  you  can  drown!  The  best  thing  for  your 
health  is  to  keep  on  rowing." 

Convinced,  at  last,  that  his  passenger  meant  business,  the 
Esquimau  strained  at  the  oars  with  all  his  might,  and  Stokes  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  the  boat  was  making  progress. 

He  kept  his  revolver  raised  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then 
laid  it  down  upon  the  seat  behind  him  and  looked  around  the 
boat  for  something  with  which  he  could  make  a  plug  for  the 
auger  hole. 

There  was  nothing  whatever  there  that  could  be  used  for  such 
a  purpose. 

He  thought  how  easy  it  would  be  to  wind  a  handkerchief 


A  FROZEN  THUMB  FOR  A  PLUG. 


105 


uround  a  thole  pin  and  stuff  it  into  the  hole,  but  the   only  thole 
pins  on  board  were  those  fitted  into  the  Esquimau's  oars. 

There  was  not  so  much  as  a  sliver  of  loose  wood  at  command. 

"If  there  was  only  time  for  it, "  Stokes  reflected,  "I  could 
whittle  a  plug  from  one  of  the  seats,  but  while  I  am  doing  that 
the  boat  would  half  fill  with  water. 

' '  If  there  was  a  pail  here  I  might  bail  het  out. 

"It  might  be  possible  to  cram  a  handkerchief  into  this  hole, 
but  the  pressure  of  the  water  would  probably  push  it  away,  and 
in  any  case  there  would  be  a  leak, 

"The  only  thing  that  1  can  do  is  to  hold  my  thumb  there  until 
we  get  to  land,  for  my  thumb  is  the  only  plug  that  I  can  use 
that  completely  fits  the  hole." 

Even  as  he  came  to  this  conclusion,  Stokes  shivered  violently 
with  the  cold. 

It  was  late  in  the  autumn,  and  in  that  far  north  region  the 
water  was  almost  like  ice. 

The  intense  cold  may  be  understood  better  when  it  is  stated 
that  there  had  been  snow  flurries  upon  the  previous  day,  and 
thot  even  now  a  few  flakes  were  falling. 

It  was  not  long  before  his  thumb  ceased  to  pain  him.  It  was 
thoroughl_,  immb  with  cold,  but  his  knees  and  the  rest  of  his 
body  ached  and  quivered  with  it. 

It  seemed  to  him  that  he  could  not  stand  the  pain  any  longer, 
and  yet  as  he  glanced  ovei  his  shoulder  at  the  island  of  Taska  he 
knew  that  the  boat  had  not  made  anywhere  near  half  the  dis- 
tance to  the  shore. 


xo6 


A  NIGHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  NIGHT  IN  XS   ESQUIMAU  HUT.  * 

•   "You  freeze,"  said  the  Ksquiraau  when  Stokes  looked   around 
again. 

"Keep  on  rowing,  you  lubber, "  cried  Stokes,  reaching  again 
for  his  revolver. 

The  Esquimau  had  rested  on  his  oars,  evidently  in  the  expecta- 
tion that  is  passenger  would  order  him  to  give  up  the  attempt 
to  reach  the  distant  shore. 

He  dug  his  oars  into  the  water  again  with  great  vim,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  detective's  command.  But  there  was  an  expression 
of  deep  terror  on  his  face. 

•'Me  tell  you,"  he  stammered,  hardly  able  to  make  himself 
heard,  so  great  was  his  fright — "me  tell  you  something." 

"Speak  up,  then,"  commanded  Stokes,  "but  stick  to  your 
work. ' ' 

"You  freeze,"  the  Esquimau  said,  with  short  pauses  between 
the  words.  * '  Hand  freeze — all  freeze — same  dead — half  hour. ' ' 

"Well,"  returned  Stokes,  "if  my  hand  freezes  and  I  freeze 
with  it,  and  I  become  a  dead  man  in  an  hour,  I  reckon  that's 
my  business,  ain't  it?" 

The  Esquimau  shuddered. 

"You  no  can  stand  it,"  he  exclaimed,  rowing  all  the  time  for 
dear  life. 

"  Bymeby  you  feel  great  pain — you  give  up — you  take  hand 
out  hole — water  come  in — then  we  be  in  middle — no  way  throw 
water  overboard — no  get  to  shore — no  getTaaka — both  drown." 

Stokes  smiled,  in  spite  of  the  pain  he  felt,  at  the  Esquimau's 
way  of  explaining  the  situation. 

"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  my  friend,"  he  said,  less  sternly  than 
he  had  spoken  before,  "this  pain  is  considerable,  I'll  allow  that, 
and  I'm  not  enjoying  myself  a  little  bit,  but  I'll  give  you  a  tip 
about  me  that  perhaps  you  can  understand. 

"I  ain't  made  of  the  kind  of  stuff  that  gives  up,  I'm  going 
to  hold  my  thumb  in  this  hole  until  this  boat  gets  to  the  shore 
if  I  freeze  to  death  on  the  way. 

"You'll  be  safe  enough;  you'll  be  simply  rowin'  a  dead  man 
instead  of  a  live  one. ' ' 


A  NIOHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


X07 


^  :,      T  . 


K 


"No  like  i^,"  returned  the  Esquimau. 

"Like  it  or  not,  you've  got  to  keep  on  rowing,"  retorted 
Stokes. 

"I  know  perfectly  well  that  if  I  take  my  hand  out  of  this  hole 
when  we're  in  the  middle  of  the  strait  we'll  sink  before  we  can 
reach  land  in  either  direction,  so  don't  you  fret.  I'm  goin'  to 
itay  where  I  am,  an'  ef  you  don'  like  the  idee  of  luggin'  a  corpse 
to  shore,  you  want  to  put  on  more  steam.     That's  all." 

It  is  not  probable  that  the  Esquimau,  with  his  imperfect  know- 
ledge of  English  understood  all  that  Stokes  said,  but  he  gathered 
enough  from  it  to  be  certain  that  the  man  would  stick  to  his  post, 
and  that  the  only  safety  for  either  of  them,  therefore,  was  to  get 
to  the  shore  as  soon  as  possible. 

So  the  journey  continued,  the  Esquimau  rowing  until  the  per- 
spiration started  ftom  every  pore,  and  Stokes  kneeling  in  the 
water  and  feeling  a  terrible  numbness  overcoming  all  his 
muscles. 

Men  never  know  how  much  they  can  endure  until  they  have 
been  put  to  some  terrible  test. 

Before  this  journey  was  finished,  vStokes  felt  that  he  would  give 
all  that  he  was  ever  likely  to  possess  if  he  could  only  take  his 
thumb  from  the  auger  hole  and  throw  himself  down  full  length 
upon  dry  land. 

The  agony  became  so  great  that  during  the  last  quarter  ot  the 
trip  he  was  hardly  conscious  of  what  was  going  on. 

He  knew  simply  that  he  was  like  a  cake  of  ice,  with  the 
exception  of  his  face,  on  which  the  extreme  pain  caused  the 
sweat  to  gather.  His  forehead  was  hot ;  the  rest  of  his  body 
seemed  to  be  frozen. 

He  was  dimly  conscious,  too,  that  the  light  snowfalls  that  had 
occurred  earlier  in  the  day  had  now  turned  to  a  heavy,  down- 
pour. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  shore  the  Esquimau  was  as  white 
as  a  snow  man,  and  at  last,  wfc  nn  the  boat  grated  on  the  pebbly 
beach  at.u  ^he  Esquimau  leaped  into  the  low  surf  to  drag  it 
ashore,  Stokes  did  not  rise.  He  was  so  chilled  and  so  stiffened 
from  being  so  long  in  one  position  that  he  could  not  rise,  and, 
moreover,  he  had  come  so  near  actual  freezing  that  his  mind  was 
in  that  curious  condition  where  he  did  not  seem  to  care  much 
whether  ot  not  he  should  survive  his  adventure. 

The  thought  of  his  undertaking  came  vaguely  to  his  brains  and 
with  a  desperate  desire  to  be  up  and  after  Amorak  and  the  miss- 
ing papers,  he  made  a  feeble  attempt  to  move  and  failed  utterly. 

It  was  the  dusk  of  evening  when   the  boat  touched  the  shore. 

The  Esquimaux  living  in  Vilnak  had  seen  it  crossing  the 
water,  and   as  it   drew  near  their  curiosity  wft»  aroused  by  the 


3o8 


A  NiaHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


♦Touching  figure  of  the  passenger,  as  well  as  by  the  evident  strug- 
gle that  the  oarsman  was  making  to  cover  the  distance  in  short 
time. 

It  happened,  therefore,  that  sevetal  natives  were  on  the  beach 
when  the  boat  arrived,  and  when  the  oarsman  excitedly 
explain'-.d  the  situation,  they  promptly  jumped  into  the  boat  and 
lifted  vjtokes  from  his  place. 

He  tried  to  speak  to  them,  but  only  a  choking  sound  issued 
froin  his  throat. 

The  Esquimaux  are,  on  the  whole;  a  kindly  race,  and  these 
people  stopped  to  ask  no  questions,  but  set  to  work  in  the  best 
way  they  knew  to  restore  the  detective  to  consciousness. 

One  of  them  hurried  ofif  to  the  village,  which  consisted  of  less 
Ihan  a  dozen  huts,  at  a  little  distance,  while  the  others  proceeded 
to  roll  him  in  the  snow. 

After  they  had  rolled  him  over  and  over  several  times,  they 
placed  him  on  his  back  and  began  to  rub  his  hands  and  face 
with  snow  with  great  violence. 

Stokes  made  no  resistance  to  this  rough  treatment.  It  was 
effoptive  speedily  in  restoring  his  consciousness  partly,  and  as  he 
became  able  to  think  he  realized  that  this  was  the  surest  way  to 
prevent  him  from  being  frozen  throughout. 

He  knew  to  get  warm  quickly  after  a  terrible  chill  was  almost 
as  dangerous  as  not  to  get  warm  at  all,  so  although  the  rubbing 
and  lolling  caused  him  to  feel  the  sharpest  pains  throughout  his 
whole  body,  he  stood  it  patiently,  closing  his  eyes  and  grating 
his  teeth  hard  together  to  prevent  any  outcry. 

The  one  who  had  gone  to  the  huts  returned  presently  with  a 
flask  of  liquor.  A  long  draught  from  this  finished  the  work  of 
restoration,  and  suddenly  Stokes  sat  up  and  remarked : 

"I'm  all  right  now,  an'  I'm  much  obliged  to  you."  An  old 
man  who  was  kneeling  before  him  shook  his  head  gravely. 

"No  all  right  yet,"  he  said,  "blankets — sleep  all  night — then 
safe — perhaps. ' ' 

"We'll  see  about  thet, "    returned  Stokes  as  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

The  effort  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  would  have  fallen 
had  not  two  of  the  Esquimaux  caught  him. 

"Well,"  he  exclaitped,  with  a  weak  laugh,  "I  do  seem  to  be 
pretty  well  done  npJMuno 

Realizing  that  in  order  to  accomplish  his  mission  it  would  be 
necessary  to  regain  his  entire  strength,  and  that  he  would  risk 
everything  by  going  ahead  too  fast,  he  permitted  the  kindly 
Esquimaux  to  lead  him  to  a  hut,  where  they  laid  him  upon  a 
bunk  and  covered  him  with  thwli  blankets. 

This  was  after  they  had   provided   him   with   a  dry  suit  of 


Cl< 


A  NIGHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


109 


Strug- 
short 


these 
best 


they 


be 


clothes,  which  were  ill  fitting  and  outlandish  in  appearance, 
but  which  were  very  necessary  for  his  recovery. 

Stokes  felt  exceedingly  drowsy,  but  he  was  not  going  to  sleep 
before  he  had  learned  something  about  Amorak. 

He  had  little  doubt  that  his  oarsman  would  tell  the  purpose  of 
his  trip  to  Vilnak,  and  he  suspected  that  these  Esquimaux  might 
be  loyal  enough  to  Amotak  to  try  to  injuie  the  pursuer  during 
the  night. 

It  was  a  serious  situation.  Here  he  was  almost  helpless,  too 
weak  from  his  severe  exposure  to  move  without  help,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  strange  race  who,  in  all  probability,  would  be 
extremely  hostile  to  him. 

He  had  so  much  confidence  in  his  own  shrewdness  that  this 
latter  thought  really  gave  him  less  trouble  than  the  fear  that, 
whatever  else  the  Esquimaux  did,  they  would  help  Amora'k  to 
escape. 

"Of  course  he'll  get  the  tip,"  thought  Stokes,  "from  that 
rascally  oarsman,  an'  starting  from  yere,  he's  got  all  of  North 
America  to  hide  in. 

"  What  can  I  do  about  it  ? " 

The  hut  in  which  he  lay  had  been  deserted  by  its  inmates  after 
they  had  laid  the  stranger  on  the  bed  and  wrapped  him  up;  they 
supposed,  of  course,  that  he  would  go  at  once  to  sleep.  ' 
a  Stokes  could  hear  the  dull  murmur  of  their  voices  outside.  If 
they  had  been  speaking  in  English  he  would  not  have  been  able 
to  understand  a  word  they  said,  but  more  than  that,  they  were 
conversing  in  their  own  language. 

"  If  they  would  only  come  in  here  and  do  their  jabbering,  I 
might  be  able  to  make  something  of  it,  but  they  might  as  well  be 
in  Asia  and  talking  Siamese  for  all  the  good  I  can  get  out  of  it 
now. ' ' 

During  his  few  weeks  in  Alaska  he  had  given  a  good  deal  of 
study  to  the  Esquimau  tongue,  fol'owing  the  habit  that  he  had 
adopted  early  in  his  travels  of  learning  the  language  of  every 
country  that  he  visited. 

He  was  by  no  means  perfect  in  Esquimau,  and  seldom  made 
any  attempt  to  speak  it,  but  he  had  learned  enough  of  the  lan- 
guage to  get  the  sense  of  a  general  conversation. 

'The  probability   is, "  so  his  thoughts   ran,  "that  the  entire 


population  of  this  place  is  holding  a   caucus  just  outside  the 

door. 

"This  is,  of  course,  the  place  wheie  they  would  gather,  for  I'm 

the  most  int||resting  topic  for  discussion  that  they  have  just  now. 
"I  must  manage  somehow  to  find  out  what  they  are  saying." 
He  half  sat  up,  ^yropping  himself  upon  his  elbow.     Just  as  he 


fl 


no 


A  NIGHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


did  so  the  outside  door  was  opened  on  a  crack,  and  the  old  man 
who  had  taken  charge  of  him  peered  in, 

Stokes  promptly  lay  down  again  and  pretended  to  be  asleep. 

The  old  man  gazed  at  him  steadily  for  a  moment,  then  with- 
drew and  closed  the  door.     This  action  gave  Stokes  new  energy. 

He  got  up  from  the  bunk,  and  wrapping  the  blankets  closely 
about  him,  crept  softly  across  the  floor  to  the  door,  where  he  lay 
for  a  moment  listening.  The  sound  of  voices  was  much  more 
distinct  here,  and  after  listening  a  moment  he  heard  the  words 
in  Esquimau: 

"There's  Nak  coming  now;  he  can  tell  us." 

"Nak!"  thought  Stokes.  "Oh,  yes,  that's  the  name  of  the 
fellow  that  rowed  me  across  from  Taska.  I  should  like  to  dic- 
tate what  Nak  will  tell  them,  but  I  guess  it  will  be  better  not  to 
make  a  row  until  I'm  able  to  take  care  of  myself.  I  must  hear 
what  he  says,  though. ' ' 

Confident  that  the  Esquimau  believed  him  to  be  asleep,  Stokes 
cautiously  opened  the  door  about  an  inch,  and  held  it  so  that 
the  wind  could  not  possibly  close  it. 

Then  he  could  hear  the  conversation  of  the  Esquimaux  clearly. 
They  were  evidently  huddled  close  to  the  hut,  in  order  to  avoid 
as  much  of  the  snow  as  they  could. 

"Well,  Nak,"  said  one  of  them  after  a  moment,  "what  is  it  all 
about?" 

"Is  he  alive?"  was  Nak 's  response.  * 

A  voice  that  Stokes  recognized  as  the  old  man's  answered, 
with  a  grunt : 

"Alive — yes.     And  he'll  be  lively  by  morning." 

"What's  he  here  for?"  asked  another  voice. 

It  was  evident  that  Nak  was  hesitating.  Instead  of  replying 
directly,  he  asked  another  question : 

"Where's  Amorak?;' 

This  question  was  followed  by  a  moment  of  silence,  and  then 
the  old  man  responded :  « 

' '  We  don't  know.    What's  the  matter  with  Amorak  ?' • 
"Hasn't  he  been  here?"  demanded   Nak,  still  persisting  in 
asking  questions  rather  than  in  giving  information. 
"Yes,"  said  the  old  man. 
"Then  where  is  he?" 

"We  don't  know." 
' '  What  became  of  him  ?" 

"How  aiiould  I  say  we  don't  know  to  one  question  if  we  could 
answer  that?"  '    ^ 


"Well,  then,"  said  Nak,  "what  did  he  do?'» 
"He  drank  a  good  deal  of  brandy." 


A  NIGHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


tit 


This  answer  was  followed  by  a  chorus  of  low  grunts,  which 
Stokes  understood  to  be  the  Esquimau's  manner  of  laughing. 

"It  would  be  well,"  remarked  Nak,  seriously,  "if  Amorak 
didn't  drink  too  much  while  this  white  man  is  in  Vilnak. 

"Amorak  will  do  well  not  to  fall  asleep  just  now." 
f?"  What  has  Amorak  done?"  demanded  the  old  man. 

"Nevermind." 

Again  there  was  a  brief  interval  of  silence,  then  a  voice  said: 
"I  think  Amorak  has  done  something  wrong.  He  was  boasting 
this  afternoon  about  how  rich  he  would  be,  and  he  promised  to 
make  us  all  rich  with  him." 

"Oh,  did  he?"  said  Nak. 

"Isn't  it  so?"  asked  the  old  man. 

"Is  it  a  crime,"  returned  Nak,  "to  obey  one's  employer's 
orders?" 

"No." 

"liien  Amorak  has  done  no  wrong.      I  must  find  him." 

"You'll  have  a  hard  hunt  for  him  in  this  storm,"  remarked 
the  old  man.  "  I  should  think  the  snow  would  drive  him  back 
to  the  village  before  long,  but  if  he  doesn't  come  back  he  alone 
can  tell  where  he  is. ' ' 

"He  won't  come  back,"  responded  Nak. 

"Perhaps  not.  All  we  know  is  that  he  was  the  first  among  us 
to  see  your  boat  coming  across  the  straits.  While  we  were  look- 
ing at  it  he  disappeared. 

"We  didn't  notice  for  some  time  that  he  had  gone;  just  when 
he  went  away  and  where  he  went  none  of  us  know. " 

"Then,"  said  Nak,  "Amorak  guessed  what  trouble  there  was 
for  him  in  my  boat,  and  he's  taken  the  best  way  to  avoid  it." 

"About  that  boat,  now,"  said  another  voice.  "How  should 
there  be  a  hole  in  a  boat  which  you  were  rowing,  Nak?" 

"How  can  I  answer  such  a  question?" 

* '  But  you  must  know. ' ' 

"Look,  Teeka,"  interrupted  another;  "you  left  the  door 
open." 

Hearing  this,  Stokes  hastily  went  back  to' his  bunk  and  threw 
himself  upon  it  just  as  the  old  man  began  to  look  in,  muttering 
hat  he  th  ought  he  had  closed  the  door  tightly. 

It  was  evident  that  the  Esquimau  did  not  suspect  that  Stoke 
had  been  listening. 

The  old  man  closed  the  door  firmly,  remarking  that  he  would 
keep  his  hand  upon  the  handle  to  prevent  it  from  blowing  open 
again. 

"That  ends  my  listening, "  thought  Stokes,  "for  what  with 


na 


A  NIGHT  IN  AN  ESQUIMAU  HUT. 


their  thick  tongues  and  their  queer  language,  it's  all  I  can  do  to 
make  out  what  they  say  when  I  can  hear  plainly. 

"Well,  I  guess  I  heard  enough.  I  know  more  surelvthan  ever 
that  Amorak  has  those  papers,  and  that  he  took  them  away  by 
Murdock's  order. 

"  It  is  pretty  clear^  too,  that  these  Equimaux  are  friendly  people 
and  that  that  rascal  Nak  doesn't  dare  let  them  wholly  into  the 
secret  of  the  buiness  on  Taska  Island.  That  being  the  case,  it 
strikes  me  that  I'm  safe  enough  for  this  night,  at  least,  unless 
Amorak  should  be  driven  back  to  the  village  by  the  storm,  in 
which  case  he  might  look  me  up  and  fix  things  so  that  I 
shouldn't  wake  up  in  this  world. ' ' 

After  thinking  the  matter  over  in  every  possible  way  Stokes 
decided  that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  drop  to  sleep,  and  he,  there- 
fore, kept  himself  awake  in  spite  of  the  fatigue  he  felt. 

After  a  time  the  door  was  opened  again  and  the  old  man  came 
in.  He  moved  carefully  across  the  room  and  sat  down  on  the 
edge  of  Stokes'  bunk. 

Stokes  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  at  him. 

"Ah!"  said  the  old  man  in  a  kindly  voice,  "you  no  sleep?" 

"Not  now,"  answered  Stokes. 

"You  no  fear, "  continued  the  old  man.  "I  think  you  after 
Amorak. '  * 

Stokes  nodded. 

"Amorak  bad  man." 

Again  Stokes  responded  with  a  nod. 

"Amorak  done  something — no  know  what — something  bad— 
you  want  him — so  ?' ' 

"So,"  answered  Stokes. 

"Good!     You  no  get  him  to-night. " 

Stokes  shook  his  head. 

"Great  storm,"  continued  the  old  man,  gravely.  "Little wind 
— deep  snow — Amorak  hide  somewhere — you  weak — you  sick— 
you  no  go  out  to-night — you  get  lost — you  die  in  snow. ' ' 

' '  Reckon  that' s  right. ' ' 

"To-morrow  or  next  day  when  snow  stop  you  take  sled  and 
dogs  if  you  want  hunt  for  Amorak — we  give  you  guide — we  give 
you  food — anything  you  want. " 

"Thank^!"  answered  Stokes,  heartily.  "But  suppose  Amorak 
should  come  back  to-night?" 

The  old  man  shook  his  head. 

"I  think  he  no  dare,"  he  said,  "and  if  he  do  I  stay  here — you 
no  harm." 

"All  right,"  said  Stokes,  "then  I'll  go  to  sleep." 

And  this  he  did,  confident  that  the  old  Esquimau  was  honest 
and  would  remafn  to  warn  him  of  any  possible  danger. 


**>. 


A  CHASK  ON  THE  SNOW  CRUST. 


113 


to 

bver 
by 

)ple 
the 

!,  it 
[less 
f  in 
at  I 


CHAPTER  XVir. 

A  CHASB  ON  tun  SNOW  CRUST. 

Next  morning  the  snow  had  ceased.  There  was  a  dead  level  of 
about  eighteen  inches  depth  over  all  the  ground  around  Vilnak, 
but  it  was  by  no  means  of  that  light,  flaky  character  that  is 
usual  in  a  midwinter  snow  storm. 

Even  when  it  fell  the  snow  was  moist  and  heavy. 

Toward  morning  a  change  in  the  wind  had  brought  about  a 
very  brief  fall  of  rain,  and  after  this  another  change  of  the  wind 
drove  the  clouds  away  and  crusted  the  snow  so  that  a  man  could 
easily  walk  upon  its  suiface. 

The  atmosphere  was  now  bright  and  dry.  Stokes  got  up  from 
his  bunk  feeling  as  well  as  ever  he  did  in  his  life. 

He  not  only  had  the  advantage  of  youth  in  recovering  from 
his  exposure,  but  it  was  a  fact  that  the  treatment  given  him  by 
the  Esquimaux  was  the  very  best  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

No  city  physician  could  have  cared  for  him  better.  Most  of 
the  population  of  Vilnak  came  in  to  see  him  while  he  was  break- 
fasting on  dry  herring  and  a  coarse  kind  of  cake  that  passes  for 
the  Esquimau  bread. 

The  old  man  had  been  faithful  to  his  word  in  keeping  watch 
in  the  hut  all  through  the  night,  and  he  was  now  ready  to  keep 
his  promise  of  providing  Stokes  with  the  means  of  pursuing 
Amorak. 

Stokes  was  anxious  to  set  out  as  early  as  possible,  and  he  found 
the  Esquimaux  willing  to  either  guide  or  direct  him  in  the 
course  that  would  most  likely  lead  him  to  the  fugitive's  hiding 
place. 

The  old  man  told  him  of  a  hut,  miles  away  to  the  north,  which 
was  used  by  hunters  when  they  went  out  for  moose. 

It  was  a  place  that  nobody  lived  in  the  year  round,  and  no 
white  man  had  ever  been  there. 

It  seemed  probable  that  Amorak  would  make  for.  that  spot 

rather  than  any  other  place  in  thevicinily,  because  he  could  find 

shelter  there  at  least  as  long  as  the  storm  should  last. 

»3  "He  took  no  dogs  with  him,"  the  old  man   explained,  "and 

probably,  therefore,  means  to  bide  there  until  he  can  learn  that 


114 


A  CHASB  ON  THE  SNOW  CRUST. 


you  have  gone  away.  Now,  if  you  go  with  a  sled  and  dogs  he 
will  be  able  to  see  you  coming  while  you  are  two  miles  away, 
and  he  will  undoubtedly  run  for  it,  but  with  the  swift  dogs  that 
we'll  give  you  I  should  think  that  you'll  be  able  to  overtake  him 
before  nightfall." 

"And  if  he  isn't  in  that  hut,"  asked  Stokes,  "where  should 
you  think  he  would  be?" 

The  old  man  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  answered : 

"There's  no  telling.  At  the  bottom  of  some  ravine,  perhaps, 
for  if  he  tried  to  make  his  way  through  the  storm  of  last  night, 
it  is  more  than  likely  he  would  fall  over  the  edge  of  a  cliff." 

As  the  hunters'  hut  was  about  the  only  place,  therefore,  in  the 
entire  country  around  about  Vilnak  where  Aniorak  might  be 
found,  Stokes,  of  course,  decided  to  make  for  it  without  delay. 

He  declined  the  offer  of  the  Esquimaux  to  accompany  him  as 
guides  or  helpers. 

"I'd  rather  do  this  thing  alone,"  he  said,  "and  if  you'll  sim- 
ply tell  me  the  way  I'll  be  satisfied." 

"The  dogs  know  the  way, "  said  the  old  man.  "We'll  s  t 
you  in  the  right  direction  and  tell  you  about  the  landmarks,  .t 
once  the  dogs  get  turned  toward  that  place  they  will  go  there 
without  fail,  for  that's  their  habit." 

Accordingly,  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  breakfast  Stokes 
0  took  his  position  upon  the  sled,  to  which  a  team  of  eight  dogs 
had  been  harnessed. 

They  were  eager,  lively  animals,  who  stood  pawing  the  snow 
restlessly  as  if  anxious  for  the  word  to  go. 

Upon  the  sled  was  packed  a  small  quantity  of  provisions  and 
an  extra  blanket  or  two  in  case  he  would  be  compelled  to  go  into 
camp  some  whet  e  for  the  night. 

With  good  luck  it  would  be  possible  for  film  to  go  as  far  as  the 
hunters'  cabin  in  a  single  day. 

He  had  a  long  whip  to  guide  the  dogs.  There  were  reins,  of 
course,  but  the  Esquimaux  train  their  dogs  to  obey  by  the  mere 
touch  of  the  whip  upon  the  leaders'  sides. 

These  remarkable  little  animals  have  great  intelligence.  Every 
dog  is  trained  to  follow  his  leader,  and  the  Esquimaux  have 
a  way  of  promoting  good  dogs  from  the  rear  of  the  team  to  the 
front,  and  it  sometimes  seems  as  if  thedogs  themselves  were 
ambitious  to  behave  so  well  that  they  could  be  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  team. 

Certain  it  is  that  when  a  dog  acts  badly  and  is  harnessed  to  the 
sled  he  drops  his  tail  and  shows  in  other  ways  that  he  feels  dis- 
graced. 

Stokes  had  learned  sach  things  as  this  about  the  Esquimau 


1 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  SNOW  CRUST. 


115 


dogs  (luring  his  stay  in  Alaska,  where  he  had  more  than  o'ce 
driven  a  team  for  the  fun  of  it. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  a  feeling  of  con6dence  and  keen  pleas- 
ure that  he  cracked  the  whip  and  shouted : 

"Aua!  aua!     Ja  choiachoi!" 

These  are  Esquimau  words  which  in  English  translation  might 
be  put,  "Get  up  '.here!     Turn  to  the  left!" 

The  dogs  sprang  forward,  yelping  with  pleasure,  and  the 
Esquimaux  gri-aned  delightedly  as  they  saw  how  readily  the 
detective  did  his  share  in  the  work. 

Stokes  had  no  difficulty  whatever  in  directing  the  dogs,  and 
for  the  next  two  hours  he  enjoyed  himself  as  much  as  he  ever  had 
done  in  his  life. 

The  way  led  over  fairly  level  land,  and  in  places  where  the 
crust  of  snow  was  not  broken  it  was  like  an  unending  slide  down 
hill. 

The  dogs  ran  so  fast  the-^e  was  a  continuous  breeze  upon  his 
face,  and  sometimes  the  tears  came  to  his  eyes  from  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  wind.  When  this  happened  the  water  froze  upon 
his  cheeks,  causing  him  to  realize  that  the  weather  was  intensely 
cold. 

>*>  He  was  on  the  alert  at  all  times,  not  only  to  get  any  possible 
sign  of  Amorak,  but  to  see  the  lay  of  the  land  and  to  discover 
spots  that  the  f  igitive  might  use  as  a  hiding  place  if  he  should 
be  driven  from  his  hut. 

"I  think  this  is  the  queerest  detective  case  on  record, "  he 
reflected.  "I've  never  seen  the  man  I'm  after,  I  haven't  had  a 
photograph  of  him,  and  I  haven't  even  taken  the  trouble  to  get 
his  description,  ana  yet  I  shall  be  perfectly  confident  that  he's 
the  man  I'm  after  the  minute  I  see  him,  for  the  only  man  besides 
myself  in  this  vast  wilderness  of  snow  and  ice  will  be  Amorak." 

After  a  time  Stokes  recognized  a  steep  cliff  that  the  Esquimaux 
had  told  him  about,  at  which  point  he  knew  that  he  must  turn 
to  the  right. 

He  accordingly  gave  his  dogs  the  direction  but  they  were 
taking  H  already  without  the  word,  as  the  Esquimaux  had  fore- 
told.    They  knew  the  way  perfectly,  and  no  guide  was  needed. 

For  the  next  half  hour  or  so  the  progress  was  somewhat  slower, 
the  way  lying  up  and  over  a  portion  of  tb  .  cliff.  Beyond  the 
cliff  the  ground  was  more  uneven,  though  for  the  most  part  it 
was  down  hill,  and  the  distance  was  covered  with  tremendous 
speed. 

Sometimes  Stokes  had  to  hold  a  stick  against  the  snow  to  prevent 
the  sled  from  tripping  up  the  dogs,  who  were  unable  to  run  as 
fast  as  it  would  have  gone  if  left  to  itself. 


ii6 


A  CHASE  ON  THK  SNOW  CRUST. 


For  the  most  part,  however,  it  was  not  necessary  to  use  this 
queer  brake. 

It  was  just  as  Stokes  left  che  uneven  ground  behind  and  came 
upon  a  broad  stretch  of  level  land  that  he  saw  far  ahead  a  little 
black  speck  upon  the  surface  of  the  snow,  from  which  a  thin 
column  of  smoke  arose. 

His  heart  bounded  at  once.  He  knew  that  that  must  be  the 
hut,  and  the  curling  smoke  proved  that  some  human  being  had 
occupied  it  during  the  night. 

" That  must  be  Amorak, "  he  thought.  "Now  if  only  luck 
will  prevent  him  from  seeing  me." 

Luck  was  not  in  the  pursuer's  favor  in  this  respect. 

Stokes  urged  his  dogs  to  still  greater  speed,  but  within  half 
a  minute  after  his  discovery  of  the  hunters'  hut  he  distinguished 
an  object  moving  away  from  it. 

It  was  too  far  to  make  out  its  form,  but  he  rightly  guessed  it 
to  be  a  man  on  the  dead  run. 

"That's  the  business,"  he  said  to  himself,  excitedly. 

"He's  been  on  the  watch  for  pursuit,  he  sees  this  dog  team 
coming  across  the  snow  and  he  knows  that  somebody  is  after 
him. 

"He's  got  the  advantage  of  pretty  nearly  two  miles*  start  and 
a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  country. 

"Gee  whiz!  but  what  fine  dogs  these  are.  This  is  better  than 
yacht  racing  or  horseback  riding.  I'd  like  to  bet  somebody  that 
the  dogs  will  win. 

"Aua!  aua!"  he  cried  again.  Whether  the  dogs  went  any 
faster  at  this  command  it  was  impossible  to  say.  As  it  was,  they 
seemed  to  be  straining  every  nerve  to  get  over  the  snow  as  though 
their  lives  depended  on  it. 

Stokes  kept  his  eyes  upon  that  moving  spot  in  the  distance. 
Suddenly  he  shouted :     ' '  Hurrah ! ' ' 

It  was  evident  that  the  dogs  were  gaining  upon  the  man. 
Much  to  his  chagrin,  the  moment  he  shouted  the  dogs  stopped 
running  and  the  leaders  looked  around  at  him  as  if  to  ask  what 
he  wanted  them  to  do  next. 

"Aua!  aua!     Goon,  you  brutes!"  roared  Stokes. 

"What  are  you  standing  Still  for?" 

The  dogs  started  on,  but  not  so  fast  as  before,  and  it  was  not 
until  after  repeated  commands  that  Stokes  got  them  up  to  their 
former  height  of  speed.  Then  it  flashed  upon  him  why  they 
stopped ;  it  was  because  they  had  supposed  he  had  commanded 
them  to.  His  hurrah  sounded  almost  like  the  Esquimau  word 
"Ohaha,"  which  means  stop. 

"I  lost  a  few  seconds  by  'hut  foolishness,'"  he  thought,  "but 
the  dogs  are  good  for  it  yet. ' ' 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  SNOW  CRUST. 


H7 


this 

came 
little 
a  thin 


luck 


'but 


He  could  now  distinguish  the  man  quite  clearly,  and  saw  that 
he  was  making  toward  the  west  on  a  line  directly  across  the 
line  of  his  approach. 

"I  wonder  what  he  means  by  that?"  said  Stokes  to  himself. 
"Instead  of  running  directly  away  from  me  he's  going  off  to  one 
side. 

' '  Perhaps  this  place  is  near  the  sea  and  he  hopes  to  get  into  a 
boat  and  so  beat  the  dogs.     I  must  try  to  head  him  off. 

"Choia!  choi!     Jochoiachoi!     Go  to  the  left !' '  he  cried. 

And  again  the  dogs  obeyed  promptly. 

A  little  later  Stokes  could  see  that  the  running  Esquimau 
turned  occasionally  to  look  at  him. 

"He  must  be  pretty  scared,"  Stokes  thou^^iit.  "Let  me  see  if 
I  can't  bring  him  to  a  halt  in  the  old-fashjjned  way.  I'll  fire  a 
shot  across  his  bows,  so  to  speak.  " 

Accordingly  Stokes  fired  his  reovlver  into  the  air. 

His  hope  was  that  the  Esquimau  would  be  frightened  by  the 
sound  of  the  weapon  and  so  come  to  a  standstill. 

It  took  a  few  seconds  for  the  report  to  reach  Amorak's  ears. 
Instead  of  stopping,  the  Esquimau  suddenly  changed  his  course 
and  sped  directly  north  vard. 

That  fact  caused  Stokes  to  gain  more  slowly  upon  him,  but 
he  nevertheless  gained  little  by  little,  and  at  last  there  was  not 
more  than  two  hundred  yards  between  the  fugitive  and  the  pur- 
suer. 

Stokes  did  not  venture  *o  call  out,  for  fear  the  dogs  would 
misunderstr  -id  hii\  cvy  and  stop  again. 

He  thought  of  using  his  revolver,  but  he  had  no  desire  to  kill 
Amorak,  and  he  beiJeve'^  that  it  would  be  entirely  possible  to 
capture  him  within  a  few  minutes. 

They  had  now  left  t;he  broad  plain  and  had  come  upon  another 
stretch  of  level  that  was  different  from  the  plain  in  that  it  was 
dotted  with  great  bowlders  and  hummocks  of  ice. 

On  the  plain,  too,  there  had  been  scattered  trees,  here  there 
were  none. 

Stokes  die'  not  know  it  then,  but  he  learned  afterward  that  he 
was  crossing  one  of  the  greatest  glaciers  in  the  world.  It  is  an 
immense  river  of  ice  that  flows  very,  very  slowly  from  the  lakes 
and  mountains  inland  to  the  sea,  carrying  with  it  rocks  and 
everything  else  that  comes  in  its  path. 

Generally  the  movement  of  such  a  glacier  cannot  be  seen  by  the 
naked  eye,  though  sometimes  it  is  possible  to  discover  its 
motion,  and  frequently  it  can  b?  detected  by  the  noise  that  the 
ice  makes  in  the  grinding  against  tiie  bottom. 

Even  now  Stokes  could  hear  a  strange  rumbling  and  once  in 
a  while  a  booming  report  that  he  could  not  understand. 


ii8 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  SNOW  CRUST. 


In  a  moment  he  decided  from  what  he  had  learned  in  reading 
that  these  noises  must  come  from  the  movement  of  the  glacier, 
but  he  did  not  then  realize  that  he  himself  was  on  one. 

It  setmed  as  if  the  dogs  knew  better.  Their  speed  decreased, 
and  the  leaders  showed  a  desire  to  turn  about  and  go  elsewhere, 
and  it  was  only  by  the  frequent  use  of  the  whip  that  Stokes  kept 
them  to  their  speed. 

Another  minute,  a  half  minute,  even,  and  they  would  be  along- 
side of  Amorak.  He  was  running,  and  slipped  in  such  a  way  that 
it  was  clear  that  his  strength  was  nearly  exhausted. 

The  forward  dogs  were  almost  on  him,  when  he  made  a  sharp 
turn  to  the  right  and  disappeared  behind  a  huge  bowlder. 

"To  the  right!"  shouted  Stokes,  touching  the  leaders  with 
the  whip. 

The  dogs  wheeled  around  the  bowlder  as  obediently  as  the  best 
trained  horses  would  have  done,  and  the  sled  slewed  in  follow- 
ing. 

They  were  going  at  inich  speed  that  it  would  have  been  impos- 
silbe  for  the  sled  to  make  the  turn  without  slewing  more  or  less, 
and  so,  smooth  was  the  surface  that  the  sled  swung  around  in  a 
half  circle. 

Just  too  late,  Stokes  saw  that  there  was  an  immense  fissure,  or 
crack,  in  the  ice  a  few  feet  beyond  the  bowlder. 

It  was  impossible  to  prevent  the  sled  from  going  as  far  as  the 
edge  of  that  fissure,  and  Stokes  made  a  wild  effort  to  leap. 

It  was  too  late  even  for  that.  Amorak  had  conducted  his  flight 
with  splendid  shrewdness.  He  had  led  the  team  of  dogs  to  just 
that  point  in  the  hope  of  accomplishing  th  s  very  thing,  know- 
ing as  he  did  that  the  sled  would  slew  and  tarry  his  pursuer  o^'er 
the  edge  of  the  fissure. 

It  was  all  over  in  a  second. 

Stokes,  half  rising,  felt  the  sled  suddenly  give  way,  and  down 
he  went,  his  weight  and  that  of  the  sled  dragging  the  entire 
team  of  dogs  after  him. 


AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  GIvACIER. 


"9 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AT  THR  BOTTOM  OV  THE)  GI^ACIER. 

As  they  went,  mati  and  dogs  making  frantic  efforts  to  clutch 
at  the  edge  of  the  ice,  he  had  a  glimpse  of  an  evil  face  looking 
down  at  him. 

Amorak  had  run  from  the  bowlder  to  the  edge  of  the  fissure, 
and  was  completing  the  catastrophe  by  pushing  over  the  two 
dogs  that  led  the  team,  and  who  would  have  been  dragged  over 
in  any  case. 

Usually,  to  fall  into  the  fissure  of  a  glacier  means  certain 
death,  for  these  cracks  are  exceedingly  deep,  and  the  chances  are 
that  he  who  falls  in  will  be  ground  to  pulp  by  the  movement  of 
the  vast  river  of  ice  upon  the  stony  bed  below. 

It  was  Amorak  himself  who  saved  Stokes'  life.  By  pushing 
the  leading  dogs  over  the  edge  he  sent  them  down  faster  than 
the  others  in  the  team,  so  that  they  landed  on  the  bottom  first 
of  all,  and  Stokes,  in  his  fall,  landed  on  the  dogs. 

Their  bodies  made  a  cushion  which  saved  him  from  anything 
more  serious  than  a  severe  jolt.  Fbrtunately  the  sled  bounded  on 
and  came  to  a  top  a  few  feet  away,  so  that  he  was  not  injured  by 
falling  against  it. 

Having  pushed  the  dogs  over,  Amorak  hurried  away  from 
the  fissure  and  failed   to  see  what  had  happened. 

Stokes  found  himself  between  high  walls  of  ice  in  a  crooked, 
narrow  alley. 

Around  him  lay  the  injured  dogs.  Four  of  them  were  so 
badly  bruised  that  they  were  certain  to  die  of  their  injuries,  and 
without  hesitation  he  put  an  end  to  their  suffering  with  pistol 
shots. 

The  other  four  dogs  falling  as  Stokes  did,  upon  the  bodies  of 
their  companions,  were  not  injured. 

The  sled  was  smashed  beyoiul  repair. 

It  may  be  said  that  Amorak,  upon  the  surface  of  the  glacier, 
heard  the  pistol  shot-'  but  supposed  that  they  were  merely  the 
cracking  of  the  glaci*".  as  it  ground  his  enemy  to  death. 

He  went  on  to  his  hut,  feeling  perfectly  satisfied  that  his  trou- 
bles were  at  an  end. 

Stokes  lost  no  time  in  seeking  a  way  out  of  his  very  dangerous 
situation. 


>  .,3 


I20 


AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  TlIIv  GLACIER. 


Commanding  the  dogs  to  stay  still,  be  went  in  both  directions 
along  the  fissure  until,  to  bis  great  satisfaction,  he  came  to  a 
spot  where  the  ice  wall  was  not  so  steep  as  it  was  at  the  place 
•where  be  fell.     He  saw  but  one  way  for  escape  for  him,  and  that 
he  proceeded  to  take  without  delay. 

He  first  mended  the  broken  harness  and  attached  the  remaining 
dogs  to  it  in  such  a  way  that  they  were  at  the  end  of  a  long  rope 
of  hide,  the  other  end  of  which  he  had  around  his  waist. 

Then  with  his  knife  he  began  to  chip  out  holes  in  the  side  of 
the  ice  wall,  into  which  he  placed  his  feet,  one  after  another, 
and  so  worked  his  way  gradually  toward  the  surface. 

It  was  a  long  and  difficult  task,  and  more  than  once  he  slipped 
and  went  tumbling  again  to  the  bottom. 

After  three  or  lorn  such  slips  he  used  more  caution,  for  it 
would  not  do  to  fall  from  a  great  height.  So  at  length  he 
worked  his  way  to  the  top.  Then  he  dug  a  little  furrow  in  the 
ice  near  the  edge,  in  which  be  braoed  his  feet  and  began  to  pull 
upon  his  rope. 

It  was  a  severe  tug,  and  the  dogs  did  not  enjoy  the  process  any 
more  than  Stokes  did,  but  it  resulted  in  his  bringing  every  one 
of  the  four  dogs  unharmed  from  the  bottom  of  the  fissure. 

This  done,  he  arranged  the  harness  again  so  that  the  dogs 
could  drag  him.  He  bad  no  sled,  but  the  surface  was  so  smooth 
that  he  could  slide  sufficiently  well  upon  his  feet ;  so  he  gave  the 
command  to  the  dogs  to  start,  and  off  they  went,  dragging  him 
after  them. 

In  this  way  he  made  much  faster  progress  than  he  could  have 
made  by  running, 

•    He  shrewdly  guessed  that  Amorak  would   return  to  the  hut, 
where,  in  all  probability,  he  had  concealed  the  stolen  papers. 

It  proved  to  be  but  a  few  minutes'  run  to  arrive  there,  and 
Amorak  was  not  aware  of  his  enemy's  approach  until  Stokes 
threw  himself  against  the  door  of  the  hut  and  burst  it  open. 

Inside  he  found  the  startled  Esquimau  just  in  the  act  of  has- 
tily tucking  a  large  envelope  inside  his  jacket.  The  fellow  was 
too  startled  to  make  much  of  a  resistance,  and  there  is  no  need, 
therefore,  of  describing  the  very  brief  struggle  that  followed. 

Stokes  bound  his  prisoner,  and  then  fashioned  a  rude  sled  out 
of  boards  found  in  the  hut,  and  on  this  both  were  dragged  back 
to  Vilnak  by  the  four  dogs. 

There  Stokes  paid  the  Esquimaux  handsomely  for  the  dogs  that 
had  been  lost  in  the  adventure  and  for  the  other  services  the  in- 
habitants had  rendered  him. 

A  boatman  took  him  directly  from  Vilnak  to  Circle  City  with 
his  prisoner,  where,  in  short  order  the  mystery  of  the  papers  was 
solved. 


AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  GlyACIER. 


121 


It  seemed  that  Murdock  was  dissatisfied  with  the  conduct  of 
his  partners  and  had  a  scheme  by  which  he  could  force  them  to 
make  better  terms  with  him  in  the  sale  of  the  mine  by  conceal- 
ing the  papers  so  that  no  sale  could  be  made  until  his  own  terms 
had  been  agreed  to.  Then  he  had  intended  to  produce  the  papers 
and  accuse  Araorak  of  having  stolen  them. 

He  had  also  arranged  to  let  Amorak  escape,  so  that  the  Esqui- 
mau should  suffer  no  trouble  for  the  risks  he  ran. 

The  robbery,  of  course,  was  committed  by  Murdock  himself, 
and  the  blowing  of  the  lock  to  pieces  was  accomplished  after- 
ward, as  Stokes  had  discovered  by  the  investigation  of  the  hole 
drilled  in  the  safe  door. 

It  was  also  proved,  of  course,  that  when  Murdock  learned  so 
clever  a  fellow  as  Stokes  was  to  be  engaged  upon  the  case,  he 
persuaded  Cadloo  to  make  an  attempt  to  kill  the  detective. 

This  rascally  effort  having  failed,  Murdock' s  next  plan  was  to 
prevent  Stokes  from  reaching  the  island  of  Taska. 

To  effect  this  he  managed  to  bribe  the  Esquimau  engaged  as 
Stokes'  skipper  to  set  him  ashore  on  a  small  island  occupied  by 
a  band  of  smugglers  and  other  outlaws. 

•  Luckily  there  were  but  two  of  the  band  at  the  island  when 
Stokes  arrived  there,  and  though  they  would  have  overpowered 
him  for  the  sake  of  the  money  he  carried  if  he  had  gone  ashore, 
the  detective  escaped  their  clutches,  as  we  have  seen. 

Later  Stokes  took  a  trip  to  this  island  to  investigate  farther, 
but  it  proved  that  the  smugglers  had  taken  fright  at  his  brief  call 
there  and  had  abandoned  the  place. 

It  appears,  too,  that  they  must  have  left  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try, for  they  were  not  heard  of  again. 

When  all  these  matters  had  been  made  clear,  and  Bellows,  the 
New  York  capitalist,  was  satisfied  with  the  mine  and  the  terms 
for  its  purchase,  he  said  to  Stokes : 

"I  told  you  I'd  make  it  worth  your  while  if  you  recovered 
those  papers.  My  point  was  that  if  you  proved  that  your  theory 
was  correct  and  that  you  had  the  ability  to  work  it  out  you  would 
be  just  the  fellow  I  want  to  employ  in  another  case. 

"Now  if  you  want  to  undertake  it  I  will  tell  you  about  it." 


m 
lif 

m 
i 


"I  am 
simply. 


at  your  service,  Mr.    Bellows,"  the  detective  replied, 


m 


122 


A  QUIET  CONVERSATION. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  em«T  CONVERSATION. 

**Mr.  Stokes,  there  is  more  money  in  this  region  than  has  been 
taken  out  of  California  since  the  days  of  '49. 

• '  More  than  was  found  in  the  big  bonanzas  of  Nevada — more, 
in  short,  than  was  ever  mined  in  any  one  section  of  country  in 
all  the  world. ' ' 

These  words  were  spoken  in  a  most  impressive  manner  by  Mat- 
thew Bellows,  the  New  York  capitalist,  and  his  listener  was  lue 
shrewd  American  detective,  who  had  promised  his  services  to  the 
investor. 

They  were  seated  in  Bellows'  room  at  the  hotel  in  Circle  City. 

Stokes  did  not  seem  to  be  very  much  impressed  with  the  capi- 
talist's remarks. 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,"  he  responded,  quifetly. 

**Oue  of  the  surest  ways  to  fortune,"  continued  Bellows,  with 
equal  solemnity,  "is  to  be  on  the  ground  early  and 'ook  after 
things  yourself,  and  be  ready  at  anj'  moment  to  snap  up  bar- 
gains. " 

Stokes  nodded. 

'•There  are  bargains  in  mines,  just  as  there  are  in  ordinary 
articles. 

' '  You  have  been  around  here  long  enough,  probably,  to  know 
that  prospectors  are  coming  down  from  Klondike  all  the  time  with 
the  news  of  great  discoveries,  and  with  not  a  dollar  to  make  those 
discoveries  of  any  value  to  themselves. ' '  __ 

"The  town  is  full  of  'em,"  said  Stokes. 

"Here  is  the  place  where  men  who  want  to  get  rich  quickly  are 
bound  to  come. 

"There  are  thousands  of  men  here  now  scattered  all  Qver  the 
gold  district,  and  there  would  be  tens  of  thousands  more  if  it  were 
not  for  the  fact  that  Alaska  is  so  far  from  everywhere  else  that  it 
costs  a  good  deal  of  money  to  get  here. ' ' 

"Right  you  are." 

"Now,  everybody  knows  what  I'm  here  for.  I  am  looking  for 
mining  property,  and  if  I  could  corner  a  whole  region  I'd  do  it, 
but,  of  course,  that's  out  of  the  question;  but  the  very  fact  that 
I  am  in  the  market  to  buy  makes  everybody  who  has  a  worthless 


A  QUIET  CONVERSATION. 


J23 


ledge  on  his  hands  come  to  me  and  try  to  induce  me  to  pur- 
chase. ' ' 

"I  suppose, "  said  Stokes,  "every  prospector  in  Ciicl;;  City 
has  asked  you  to  put  up  for  him. ' ' 

"Yes,  I  should  think  that  every  miner  in  all  the  region  had 
been  at  me,  and  I  have  turned  down  all  but  one  or  two. 

"The  fact  is,  Mr.  Stokes,  that  1  can't  tell  a  good  mine  when  I 
see  it. 

'  *  No  capitalist  can  unless  he  is  one  like  Mackay,  or  Fair,  or 
Flood,  who  were  miners  themselves  and  made  their  money 
in  that  way. 

"The  man  who  sits  in  his  oflSce  in  Wall  street  has  to  depend 
upon  the  reports  of  experts,  and  even  at  that  he  is  likely  to  get 
buncoed  once  in  a  while,  for  sometimes  experts  can  be  bribed  to 
salt  a  mine,  and  thus  palm  off  on  the  unsuspecting  capitalist  a 
mass  of  rock  that  has  not  gold  enough  in  it  to  buy  a  toothpick." 

"You  must  have  to  have  a  lot  of  confidence  in  your  experts," 
remarked  Stokes,  sympathetically. 

"Exactly,  and  that's  why  I'm  talking  to  you." 

"But  I'm  no  expert." 

"Perhaps  not,  but " 

"I  have  never  done  any  practical  mining.  I  know  the  indica- 
tions of  gold-bearing  quartz,  but  I  wouldn't  stake  my  judgment 
against  one  of  these  prospectors  that  are  loafing  around  here 
now. ' ' 

"That's  all  right,"  said  Bellows.  "I  understand  that,  and  I 
wasn't  thinking  of  asking  you  to  inspect  mines  for  me  as  if  you 
were  a  practical  miner  or  geologist,  or  a  chemist,  but  for  that 
matter  I  don't  doubt  but  you  know  as  much  about  those  topics  as 
most  of  the  fellows  who  are  regularly  engaged  in  the  business. 

"What  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  stand  guard  over  my  transactions 
and  prevent  me  from  being  buncoed." 

Harvey  Stokes  smil«  d. 

It  seemed  rather  ridiculous  that  a  middle-aged  ca|)italist,  whose 
shrewdness  had.  enabled  him  to  make  an  immense  fortune,  should 
be  turning  to  him,  just  out  of  college,  for  protection  against 
swindlers.  ^ 

"I  know  what  you're  thinking,"  said  Bellows.  "You're think- 
ing that  I  must  be  an  old  simpleton  to  be  unable  to  trust  my 
own  judgment  in  these  matters. 

"Well,  I'm  willing  to  have  the  laugh  on  me  on  that  account, 
provided  I  can  get  out  of  the  business  without  being  cheated. 

"Now,  I'm  perfectly  convinced  that  you  are  the  chap  to  help 
me." 
,     "Thanks,"  said  Stokes. 


'  il 


124 


A  QUIET  CONVERSATION. 


"The  way  you  handled  that  matter  of  the  Taska  Island  mine 
proved  to  me  that  you  are  just  the  fellow  I  need. " 

"Of  course  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  good  opinion, " 
said  Stokes,  "but  it's  only  fair  to  say  that  the  Taska  Island  mat- 
ter was  a  very  unusual  affair;  nothing  just  like  that  is  likely  to 
happen  again." 

"I  know  that,"  Bellows  assented.  "But  in  that  case  you  saw 
what  none  of  the  others  saw,  and  you  worked  out  the  solution  of 
the  case  without  help  and  in  a  way  that  surprised  us  all. 

' '  My  belief  is  that  it  was  not  a  mere  matter  of  luck  that  you 
succeeded  then,  but  that  your  success  was  due  to  special  ability. 

"I  suppose  you're  something  of  a  detective  by  birth." 

"I  suppose  you're  a  born  capitalist,"  returned  Stokes. 

' '  Perhaps.  -But  I  want  to  retain  you,  ns  the  lawyers  say,  to  be 
my  special  detective  as  long  as  I  am  operating  in  Klondike.  Do 
you  see  ?'  * 

Stokes  thought  a  moment. 

He  had  come  to  Alaska  in  the  course  of  his  travels  about  the 
world,  without  -the  slightest  idea  of  engaging  in  business  or  of 
doing  anything  except  amuse  himself  and  pick  up  general  infor- 
mation which  might  be  useful  to  him  in  later  years. 

•  He  had  planned  to  leave  Alaska  soon  and  go  elsewhere.  Nevei- 
theless  there  was  a  strong  temptation  in  the  plan  proposed  by 
Mr.  Bellows. 

Stokes  did  not  need  money — he  had  no  desire  to  work  simply 
for  the  sake  of  earning  money ;  but  since  his  arrival  in  Circle 
City  all  his  natural  ability  for  detective  work  had  been  aroused, 
and  he  found  that  he  enjoyed  himself  more  in  studying  the  prob- 
lems of  difiScult  cases  than  in  traveling  simply  for  his  amuse- 
ment. 

He  had  come  out  of  his  affairs  so  far  with  glorious  success,  and 
this  fact  excited  him  to  a  keen  desire  for  more  work  of  the  same 
kind. 

He  was  beginning  to  feel  that  he  must  succeed  in  everything 
that  he  undertook.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  could  not  fail,  and 
yet  there  was  a  certain  caution  in  his  nature  without  which  he 
would  have  dropped  into  many  disastrous  blunders  and  which 
now  led  him  to  go  slowly  in  his  negotiations  with  Bellows. 

"You've  got  no  case  on  hand  that  needs  attention  at  once, 
have  you?"  asked  Stokes. 

"No,  but  any  hour  may  bring  one. " 

"Do  you  mean,  then,  that  I  shai^  hatig  around  and  do  nothing 
until  something  turns  up?" 

"Not  exactly  that.  I  know  you  would  dislike  being  idle,  and 
what  I  want  you  to  do  would  really  keep  you  busy. 

"Now,  for  example,  I  shall  be  negotiating  this  aftemooii  with 


A  QUIRT  CONVKRSATION. 


J  25 


some  men  who  have  made  an  appointment  with  me  to  tell  me 
about  some  property  a  long  distance  from  here. 

"I'd  like  to  have  you  present.  You  might  be  represented  as 
my  private  secretary,  for  example.  Just  listen  to  what  they  have 
to  say,  size  the  men  up,  and  tell  me  what  you  think  of  them 
and  their  propositions.  Then  if  there  seems  to  be  any  crooked- 
ness you  can  make  it  your  business  to  unearth  it." 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  with  a  smile.  "I  don't  know  but  I 
might  undertake  it,  though  I  can  imagine  that  there  would  be 
days  at  a  time  when  nothing  would  turn  up  that  would  give  me 
any  real  work  to  do. " 

Mr.  Bellows  laughed  aloud. 

" No  fear  of  that, "  he  cried.  "I  tell  you  I  am  the  mark  for 
every  swindler  there  is  in  Klondike,  and  you  might  live  a  hun- 
dred years  and  aot  have  more  to  do  than  you'll  have  while  I'm 
here.     Will  you  agree?" 

"I'll  try  it  for  a  few  days. ' * 

"That  will  satisfy  me.     Now  about  terms." 

"Let  the  terms  wait,"  said  Stokes,  "for  a  week.  If  what  you 
say  is  correct,  a  week  will  show  how  much  work  there  is  to  be 
done  and  what  it  is  worth,  • 

"Perhaps  I  shan't  care  to  stay  in  the  business.  At  any  rate,  I 
don't  want  to  tie  myself  down  to  it  by  making  teims  now." 

"All  right,"  said  Bellows.  "If  you  work  for  me  you  can  be 
certain  of  one  thing — you  will  get  your  pay. 

"So  far  as  I'm  concerned,  although  I'm  afraid  of  being  bun- 
coed by  these  miners,  I  am  perfectly  confident  that  I  shall  know 
the  value  of  your  services  and  shan't  be  induced  to  pay  you  too 
high  for  them." 

"I  don't  think  that  we  shall  quarrel  on  that  matter," 
remarked  Stokes. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  a  hall  boy 
entered  to  say  that  Mr.  Rowland  was  looking  for  Mr.  Harvey 
Stokes  and  would  wait  for  him  in  the  office  if  Mr.  Stokes  \  is  to 
be  at  liberty  soon. 

"Rowland!"  said  Bellows.  "He's  the  United  States  district 
attorney  stationed  here!" 

"Yes, "  said  Stokes.    "I  wonder  what  he  wants  of  me?" 

"Probably  some  question  about  your  evidence  about  the  Taska 
Island  fellows." 

"I  thought  that  was  settled,"  Stokes  responded.  "However, 
if  you  have  nothing  more  to  say,  suppose  I  go  down  and  see  what 
he  wants?" 

"Have  him  come  up  here,"  said  Bellows.  "And  if  his  busi- 
ness is  private  I  will  withdraw." 

"All  right     Ask  Mr.  Rowland  to  come  up  here." 


m 


i 


126 


A  QUieX  CONVERSATION. 


The  hall  boy  withdrew,  and  presently  the  district  attorney 
entered  the  room.  He  shook  hands  warmly  with  Stokes,  who 
introduced  him  to  Mr.  Bellows  and  asked  if  the  nature  of  his 
business  was  confidential. 

"Why,  no,  not  exactly,"  responded  Mr.  Howland.  "I 
shouldn't  hesitate  to  speak  about  it  before  Mr.  Bellows,  of  whom 
I  have  heard  during  the  last  few  days. 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Bellows  will  be  as  interested  as  I 
am  in  what  I  want  to  say. ' ' 

The  three  sat  down,  and  the  district  attorney  at  once  proceeded 
to  explain  hmiself. 

"Circle  City,"  he  said,  "is  infested  just  now  with  a  gang  of 
thieves.  Several  persons  have  suffered  slight  losses,  and  thus  far 
there  is  not  a  particle  of  evidence  to  cause  suspicion  against 
any  one  man. 

"  It  is  an  annoyance  that  reflects  severely  upon  the  officers  of 
the  government,  and  we  are  at  a  good  deal  of  loss  to  know 
what  to  do  about  it. " 

"What  is  the  matter  with  the  police?"  asked  Stokes. 

"The  police  here,"  replied  the  district  attorney,  "are  not  quite 
like  the  police  in  the  States. 

"This  is  a  military  post,  you  understand,  and  the  soldiers  do 
most  of  the  police  work. 

"Of  course  we  could  handle  a  riot  in  Circle  City  easily 
enough,  but  when  it  comes  to  the  finer  grades  of  crime  hunting 
we  are  almost  helpless." 

Mr.  Howland  paused  and  looked  at  his  listenerst  for  a  moment 
in  silence. 

"Perhaps  you  see  what  I'm  driving  at,"  he  resumed.  "For 
the  credit  of  officials  like  myself  we  must  manage  to  stop  this 
thieving. 

"The  civilian  police  are  in  despair,  and  the  soldiers  do  not 
pretend  to  be  detectives.  Now,  then,  it  seemed  to  me  remarkably 
fortunate  that  among  the  residents  of  Circle  City  just  at  this  time 
there  should  be  a  young  man — yourself,  Mr.  Stokes — who  appears 
to  be  a  born  detective,  and  who  has  recently  shown  remarkable 
ability  in  that  line. 

"The  long  and  short  of  it  is  that  we  should  like  to  engage 
you " 

"Can't  be  done,"  interrupted  Bellows.    "It  can't  be  done,  Mr.-' 
District  Attorney." 

"No?"  responded  Howland,  with  a  disappointed  look.  "Why 
not?"  /': 

"Well "     He  checked   himself  and  looked  inquiringly  at 

Stokes. 

"Mr.  Bellows,"  said  Stokes,  "has  just  made  me  an  offer  to  b«|' 


A  QUI^T  CONVERSATION. 


127 


his  private  secretary,  and  I  told  him  that  I  would  take  the  job  on 
trial." 

The  district  attorney  drew  a  long  breath. 

"I  must  say  that  I  am  sorry,"  he  said.  "It  seems  that  I  am 
about  half  an  hour  too  late. ' ' 

"I  am  afraid  you  are,"  remarked  Bellows  in  a  satisfied  tone. 
"Mr.  Stokes  is  engaged  for  my  work  now,  and  I  don't  feel  like 
letting  him  go. "  '- 

Stokes  listened  to  this  with  some  discontent.  He  did  not  quite 
enjoy  being  claimed  by  this  capitalist  as  if  he  were  so  much 
property  to  be  bought  and  sold  like  everything  else.  Besides,  the 
fact  that  the  district  attorney  suggested  an  actual  case  to  work 
upon  was  a  temptation  to  drop  Bellows  and  take  up  the  other  mat- 
ter. But  he  had  given  his  word  to  Bellows  for  a  week's'^^rial,  and 
that  settled  it. 


"My  services  for  Mr.  Bellows,"  he 
long.    I  only  go  with  him  on  trial- 


said, 


<( 


may   not  last  very 


'I  expect  to  make  it  so  pleasant  for  Mr.  Stokes,"  interrupted 
Bellows,  ' '  that  he  will  stay  with  me  as  long  as  I  want  him. ' ' 

The  district  attorney  nodded. 

"My  hopes  are  dashed,"  he  said,  "and  I  don't  suppose  there 
is  any  use  in  talking  longer  about  it." 

"I'm  not  sure  about  that, "  suggested  Stokes.  "I  might  be 
able  to  give  you  some  help  without  interfering  at  all  with  Mr. 
Bellows'  work.     What  is  the  nature  of  these  thefts?" 

"I  think  it  would  be  what  is  called  sneak  thieving  in  the 
States,"  was  the  answer,  "although  legally  it  will  come  down  to 
burglary." 

"In  other  words,  the  entering  and  robbing  of  houses,"  said 
Stokes. 

"That's  it" 

♦  •  What  kind  of  stuff  is  stolen  ?' 

* '  Gold  and  silverware. ' ' 

,1'When  is  the  job  done?" 

"We  don't  know." 

"Are  there  any  signs  of  breaking  and  entering?" 

"None  that  we  have  been  able  to  find." 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  "I'd  like  to  look  into  the  matter,  and  if 
Mr.  Bellows  here  hasn't  anything  for  me  to  do  at  once ' ' 

"Oh!  as  for  that,"  interrupted  Bellows,  who  had  been  doing 
some  thinking  on  his  own  account,  ' '  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
accommodate  the  district  attorney  if  it  is  understood  that   Mr. 

Stokes  is  to  take  care  of  my  work  first " 

'Of  course,"  said  Rowland.  "It  would  relieve  me  a  good 
deal  to  know  that  this  gentleman  can  even  do  a  little  thinking 
about  the  affairs  that  trouble  us. 


lad 


A  QUIET  CONVERSATION. 


"I  was  going  to  suggest  that  you  both  attend  the  reception  at 
Judge  Taylor's  house  this  evening. 

"I  have  not  only  his  authority  to  invite  you,  but  his  urgent 
request  to  attend. 

"The  best  people  of  Circle  City  will  be  present,  and  if  things 
go  as  they  have  been  going  for  two  or  three  weeks  some  of  the 
judge's  plate  will  be  stolen." 

The'detective's  eyes  sparkled.    This  was  just  the  kind  of  worV 
that  he  wanted  to  do.    It  presented  him  a  problem  at  once  a^ 
u3  a  way  to  begin  the  solution  of  it. 

Bellows,  too,  was  pleased.  He  had  all  the  rich  man's  liking 
for  society,  and  this  seemed  to  be  a  favorable  opportunity  for  get- 
ting acquainted  with  the  best  people  of  this  place. 

"We  will  both  be  there,"  he  said,  "and  you  may  regard  Mr. 
Stokes'  presence  as  that  of  a  detective. ' ' 

"No,  you  don't, "  said  Stokes,  "for  there  mustn't  be  a  word 
said  about  my  being  there  as  a  detective  to  anybody." 

"Certainly  not  "  assented  the  district  attorney.  "I  can  see  at 
once  that  it  would  be  highly  improper  to  make  any  such 
announcement." 

"  'Twould  queer  the  game,"  remarked  Stokes. 

Mr.  Rowland  smiled  at  this  direct  way  of  putting  the  matter. 

"I  can  see  that  you  understand  your  business,"  he  said, 
"though  perhaps  Judge  Talyor,  who  is  a  very  dignified  old  party, 
might  not  know  what  you  meant. ' ' 

"Oh!"  responded  Stokes,  indifferently,  "I'll  give  the  judge 
language  that  will  make  him  hustle  for  his  dictionary  when  I 
talk  with  him." 

"You'll  find,"  said  Bellows,  approvingly— "you'll  find  that 
Stokes  can  talk  as  well  with  dignified  men  as  he  can  with  the 
toughest  citizens  of  Klondike. ' ' 

Mr.  Bellows  then  proposed  adjoiirnin»jt  ,  to  the  bar  of  the  hotel 
that  they  might  drink  to  the  success  of  ^he  first  evening  Stokes 
was  to  spend  at  Judge  Taylor's.  }j<-':ou-  stairs  they  almost  col- 
lided with  this  venerable  gentleman,  who  knowing  the  detective 
by  sight  and  reputation,  and  seeing  him  in  company  of  his 
friends,  advanced  to  address  him. 

An  introduction  was  immediately  effected,  and  before  long 
Stokes  found  himself  alone  with  the  judge,  Bellows  and  the  dis- 
trict attorney  having  <iacU  withdrawn  on  the  excuse  of  business. 


■i-u-i  hm  tPm. 


^    .....   f    ,   ,;, 


.  *  .      .     1    •. 


DE  BILKYOU  APPEARS. 


129 


CHAPTER  XX. 

PK  BII,KVOU  APPEARS. 

"Mr.  Stokes,  it  gives  me  great  pleasure,  sir,  to  make  your 
acquaintance  at  tl\js  time,"  said  the  judge,  "although  I  had 
hoped  for  the  privilege  of  doing  so  at  my  house  this  evening." 

"Thank  you,"  answered  Stokes.  "I  expect  to  be  at  your 
house,  and  am  highly  honored  by  the  courtesy  you  have 
extended. ' ' 

The  judge's  eyes  opened  wide  at  this  dignified  language,  and 
Stokes  could  hardly  repress  a  smile. 

"I  suppose,"  he  reflected,  "that  Judge  Taylor  thought  that  I 
would  talk  like  a  cowboy." 

"No,"  said  the  magistrate,  reflectively,  "you  have  not  the 
bearing  of  any  one  but  a  gentleman." 

"May  I  have  the  honor?"  said  a  voice  beside  the  judge. 

Both  turned  in  that  direction  and  saw  a  very  tall,  handsome 
man  who  was  eying  Stokes  with  undisguised  admiration.  In 
that  respect  he  was  like  the  rest  of  the  crowd  in  the  room,  but  in 
everything  else  this  man  was  different. 

One  would  have  picked  him  out  at  first  glance  for  a  foreigner. 

"Certainly,  certainly,"  said  the  judge,  with  a  little  appear- 
ance of  confusion. 

'  *  Mr.  Stokes,  allow  me  to  present  Mr.  — ah,  ah — Mr.  De— ah, 
ah — really,  my  friend,  you  will  have  to  excuse  me,  but  I  lij'e 
never  been  able  to  master  the  pronunciation  of  your  name.  I  am 
quite  ashamed  of  it. ' ' 

' '  You  are  entirely  excusable, ' '  returned  the  stranger,  pleasantly. 
"There  is  no  shame  in  finding  it  hard  to  pronounce  a  name  as 
difficult  as  mine. 

••If  you  will  remember  that  in  my  language  j  is  pronounced 
like  y  you  may  hit  it." 

Meantime  the  stranger  was  shaking  the  detective's  hand,  and 
he  added : 

"I  am  highly  pleased  to  know  you,  sir." 

"Same  to  you,  Mr. "  returned  Stokes. 

.     "De  Ejelkja." 

The  foreigner  smiled  as  he  pronounced  this  na:ne,  and  Judge 
Tayior  exclaimed; 


I  JO 


DE  BILKYOU  APPEARS. 


"He  can  say  it  easy  enough,  but  for  me — well,  De  Byelkyer  is 
as  near  as  I  can  come  to  it, " 

"That'b  quite  correct,"  said  the  foreigner,  pleasantly. 

"Of  com se  it  is,"  added  Stokes.  "I  think  I  can  pronounce 
it  myself  now." 

And  he  did  so,  greatly  to  the  pleasure,  apparently,  of  the  for- 
eigner. 

"I  shall  hope  to  see  you  again,"  the  latter  said. 

"I  hope  yon  will, "  Stokes  responded,  and  as  the  judge  passed 
on  into  the  hotel,  he  edged  his  way  out  of  the  crowd. 

Among  the  first  to  meet  the  detective  in  the  street  was  one  of 
the  private  soldiers  attached  to  the  Circle  City  post. 

"Ah,  me  boy,"  he  cried,  "the  top  av  the  marnin'  t'  ye." 

At  this  juncture  De  Bjelkja  came  out  of  the  cafe  and  in  passing 
Stokes  bowed  quite  graciously. 

•  De  Bjelkja, "   said  Stokes,  "is  a  Swedish  name,  is  it   not, 
Muldoon?" 

"De-what?"  asked  the  soldier,  looking  after  the  foreigner  with 
a  curious  expression. 

Stokes  pronounced  the  name  again. 

'"Yes,"  said  Muldoon,  "I  guess  he's  a  Swede,  but  De  Bilk- 
you  is  what  I  call  him,  and  under  that  name  a  man  might  be  any 
nationality,  I  guess." 

Mr.  Bellows  came  up  at  this  moment  and  caught  the  Irish- 
man's words. 

"I  don't  think  the  Swede,"  he  said,  laughing,  "would  take  it 
as  a  compliment  if  he  thought  anybody  twisted  his  name  into 
that  shape. ' ' 

"He  hasn't  any  business  to  have  such  a  name,  then,"  retorted 
Muldoon,  with  a  trace  of  anger,  after  which  he  turned  aside 
abruptly  and  went  away. 

Stokes  thought  little  of  this  conversation  at  the  time,  but  later 
he  had  occasion  to  recall  it  and  to  hunt  up  Muldoon  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  an  explanation. 

During  the  rest  of  the  day  he  remained  most  of  the  time  in 
the  company  of  Bellows. 

They  discussed  mines  with  two  or  three  parties  of  prospectors, 
who  brought  samples  of  ores  and  deeds  to  claims  in  tho  hope  <rf 
inducing  Bellows  to  purchase. 

In  each  instance  after  the  men  had  gone  Bellows  asked  Stokes 
what  he  thought  of  them. 

•  The  detective's  reply  was  that  they  had  shown  nothing  that 
#buld  justify  a  purchase,  and  Bellows  aji^reed  with  him.  In  the 
evening  they  went  to  Judge  Taylor's  house. 

There  was  a  large  company  present,  including  all  men  of  Cir- 
cls  City  who  ranked  above  day  laborers  in  social  life. 


DB  BIIvKYOU  APPEARS. 


131 


ri 


They  were  all  the  persons  connected  with  the  government 
posts,  attorneys,  secretaries,  and  some  officers  from  the  fort; 
besides  these  there  were  several  merchants ;  in  fact,  it  was  one  of 
the  two  or  three  very  swell  occasions  of  the  year  there. 

Time  passed  at  this  house  much  as  it  does  elsewhere  op.  simi. 
lar  occasions,  but  for  Stokes  there  was  nothing  dull  in  it. 

He  was  the  hero  of  the  hour,  and  Circle  City  lionized  Him  gen- 
erously. Although  the  reception  had  not  been  given  in  his  honor, 
it  became  such  an  event  practically,  for  he  was  the  centre  of 
attention,  and  everybody  had  something  complimentary  to  say 
tp  him. 

The  tall  Swede  was  there,  and  next  to  Stokes  he  was  the  most 
popular  person  in  the  party.  It  seemed  that  he  had  come  to  Cir- 
cle City  with  letters  of  introduction  from  important  officials  i!3 
Sweden.  He  said  that  he  was  an  officer  in  the  Swedish  army  and 
that  he  had  obtained  a  year's  leave  of  absence  to  see  the  world. 

He  had  beea  ever3rwhere,  and  as  he  knew  English  perfectly, 
and  had  the  most  polii>:ied  manners,  he  became  easily  a  great 
favorite. 

As  the  general  attempt  at  pronouncing  his  name  resulted  about 
as  badly  as  Muldoon's  translation  of  it,  that  form  will  be 
employed  in  referring  to  him. 

The  Swede  himself  when  addressed  as  De  Bilkyou  showed  not 
the  least  annoyance,  but  accepted  the  name  as  the  best  his  Amer- 
ican friends  could  do. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  Stokes  kept  his  eyes  and  ears  open  for 
anything  that  could  give  him  a  hint  of  the  robbers  complained  of 
by  the  district  attorney. 

As  soon  as  he  could  politely  do  so,  he  wiiudrewfrom  the  group 
in  the  dining-room  and  wandered  abovit  the  other  room^  ou  the 
ground  floor.  To  avoid  the  appearance  of  li-ivestigatiiig,  he  had 
the  district  attorney  and  Mr.  B;.'llow3  go  with  bira. 

They  strolled  into  the  dinng-room,  where  a  table  was  spread 
with  refreshments,  and  from  there  into  the  library,  and  then  to 
a  <vmall  reception-room  off  the  entrance  hall. 

The  only  other  room  upon  the  ground  floor  was  the  kitcheti, 
into  which  they  barely  glanced.  Stokes  noticed  that  all  the  win- 
dows were  securely  fastened. 

"If  th'  -'s  any  theft  here  to-night,"  he  reflected,  "  'twill  have 
to  take  t. -»ce  from  the  inside  unless  the  situation  changes." 
About  the  middle  of  the  evening  the  guests  were  invited  to  the 
dining-room,  where  the  refreshments  were  served,  and  after  that 
evpr>body  returned  to  the  drawing-room  and  library;  most  of  the 
men  went  into  the  latter  room  to  smoke,  De  Bilkyou  being 
among  them. 

Stokes  was  led  away  by  the  judge  to  the  drawing-room,  and 


n 


U 


fi 


:•*: 


i 


■i;! 


132 


DE  BIIvK^.'OU  APPEARS. 


while  they  were  conversing  a  servant  crossed  the  room  hurriedly 
and  whispered  to  the  judge. 

"You  don't  say  so!"  exclaimed  the  judge  aloud.  "Where  is 
Rowland?" 

He  excused  himself  hurriedly  and  started  toward  the  library. 

• '  I  bet  I  know  what  that  means, ' '  thought  Stokes,  and  he 
arose  at  once  and  followed  the  judge. 

He  came  to  the  library  door  just  as  Judge  Taylor  said : 

"Rowland,  it  strikes  me  that  this  is  the  last  straw  that  breaks 
the  back  of  the  camel.  I  would  like  to  know  what  the  law  offi- 
cers of  this  Territory  amount  to  anyway  ?' ' 

"What  is  it  now,  judge?"  asked  Rowland,  nervously. 

"What  has  it  been  for  the  past  two  or  three  weeks?  Nothing 
but  a  succession  of  robberies,  and  at  last  I  am  made  the  victim 
of  it. 

"Great  Scott!  to  think  that  I  even,  a  judge  appointed  by  the 
Federal  Government,  can't  be  secuie  in  the  possession  of  my 
household  goods." 

There  was  considerable  exci.ement  in  the  room,  for  every- 
body there  knew  instantly  what  had  happened;  more  than  one 
had  suffered  from  thefts  during  the  past  few  days. 

"What  has  been  taken?"  asked  Stokes  in  a  low  voice  to  the 
judge. 

"Gold  and  silver  bowls  and  other  articles  made  of  those  met- 
als," the  judge  returned,  excitedly.  "On  my  word,  Mr.  Stokes, 
if  you  could  capture " 

He  didn't  complete  the  sentence,  for  Stokes  had  dashed  out 
of  the  room.  Re  ran  into  the  dining-room,  where  thrre  were  two 
or  three  servants  standing  in  helpless  confusion  looking  at  the 
half-cleared  table. 

Cue  of  the  dining-room  windows  was  open.  His  first  impulse 
was  to  leap  through  it,  but  he  abandoned  that  as  soon  as  be 
thought  of  it  and  went  back  through  the  main  hall  to  the  front 
door.    A  servant  who  stood  there  said : 

"Shall  I  get  your  coat  and  hat,  Mr.  Stokes?" 

"No,"  said  Stokes,  fumbling  with  the  handle  and  catch  lock. 
"Let  me  out!" 

The  servant  opened  the  door,  and  Stokes  dashed  away  into 
the  darkness.  As  he  ran  down  the  steps  the  light  from  the  hall 
lighted  up  a  section  of  the  grounds  in  front  of  the  judge's  house 
for  just  an  instant.  Then  the  door  was  closed  and  all  was  dark- 
ness. 

His  eyes,  accustomed  to  the  glare  of  lights  within,  were  then 
unable  to  perceive  anything,  but  he  turned  his  steps  toward  a 
t  _jOt  where  in  the  momentary  gleam  he  had  thought  he  sav  a 
nian«  m 


DE  BIIyKYOU  APPEARS. 


X33 


m 


The  snow  that  had  fallen  recently  had  been  cleared  from  the 
driveway  and  footpaths,  but  where  it  had  not  been  cleared  it  was 
as  hard  as  rock,  and  a  man  could  run  upon  it  without  making  a 
footprint. 

Stokes  was  not  certain  as  he  sped  on  across  the  grounds 
whether  he  was  on  a  path  or  on  the  grass. 

He  hart  gone  but  a  few  paces  when  he  ran  full  tilt  into  some- 
body who  was  coming  in  the  opposite  direction.  •; 

The  two  laid  hold  of  each  other  violently,  Stokes  in  order  to 
prevent  the  other  from  running  away,  and  the  other  to  catch 
hold  of  the  detective  to  prevent  himself  from  falling. 

They  wrestled  there  for  a  few  seconds,  and  the  more  Stokes 
tried  to  get  control  of  the  other  the  more  the  stranger  resisted. 

The  result  of  this  was  that  Stokes  was  convinced    that  he   had 
_.ught  the  robber.   The  stranger  apparently  could  not  understand 
what  the  fuss  was  about,  for  aftei  a  moment  he  exclaimed: 

"I  t'ink  you  mad — hey  ?    What  you  try  eat  me  up— hey?" 

Stokes  perceived  from  the  good-humored  tone  of  the  man's 
voice  that  he  was  not  trying  to  get  away.  He,  therefore,  stopped 
bis  struggling,  but  asked  sternly  : 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  >  Imd 

"What  I  do— hey?"  returned  the  other.  "What  I  do?  I  fight, 
It'ink," 

"Yes,  I  guess  you  do,"  remarked  Stokes,  beginning  to  get 
accustomed  to  the  dim  light  and  to  see  that  his  antagonist  was  a 
man  of  unusually  large  frame. 

Stokes  T^jognized  the  accents  of  the  man's  voice  as  that  o;f  a 
Swede,  i^-hovigh  he  did  not  remember  that  he  had  ever  heard  the 
voice  '  .'io  t,     The  stranger's  dialect  told  the  story. 

"VV'iC""^  ->•.*  you  going?"  asked  Stokes. 

"  t"  "w;  .'at  my  bee-sness,  ain't  it?"  returned  the  Swede, 
with  ptvl  '  V  good  humor;  "but  I  tell  you  I  go  find  my  master 
t'e  Captaw   P     tijelkja  " 

"Oh!  yra'je  De  Bjelkja's  servant,  are  you?" 

"Yah." 

"What  are  you  doing  out  here?" 

"I  coming  from  his  hotel,  fat's  all.     What  you  ask  fot  ?" 

Stokes  did  not  respond,  but  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
returned  toward  the  house.  As  he  did  this  he  kept  his  eyes  cau- 
tio»'.ly  upon  the  Swede  to  see  whether  he  would  attempt   vo   run 

>'?  ?^wede  did  not,  but  instead  walked  along  quietly  in  the 
satii*      jcctuni. 

The  door  was  opened  just  before  they  arrived  at  the  house,  and 
Judge  Taylor,  the  district  attorney,  Mr.  Bellows  and  De  Bjelkja 
came  out  upoa  the  steps  with  several  others. 


lit 


m 

m 
m 

n 


134 


DE  BILKYOU  APPEARS. 


"Have  you  caught  him?"  inquired  the  judge. 

Before  Stokes  could  respond  De  Bjelkja  stepped  forward  and 
exclaimed  sternly : 

"Ole,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?" 

"I  t'ink,"  Ole  answered  with  a  smile — "I  t' ink  yon  tell  me 
come  here  half- past  eleven. ' ' 

"Yes.  I  did." 

Dei  Bjelkja  looked  at  his  watch. 

"Jt  is  exactly  thai  hour.  I  must  bid  you  good-evening,  Judge 
Taylor,  as  I  have  mc  v  letters  to  write  to-night,  and  I  told  my 
servant  to  call  for  me  .'  "  time  in  order  that  I  might  be  sure 
to  leave  in  time  to  do  n>         .k." 

"Sorry  to  have  you  jjjL,  "  the  judge  responded,  and  then 
turned  to  Stokes:  "^^" 

"What  did  you  find?"  he  asked. 

"Well,"  Stokes  responded,  feeling  rather  sheepish,  "I  sup- 
pose everybody  now  expects  me  to  catch  a  criminal  every  time  I 
stir,  but  I  must  confess  that  I  haven't  done  anything  of  the 
kind."  ai 

"I  thought,"  said  the  district  attorney,  "when  you  broke  from 
the  house  that  you  knew  wuere  to  putj'our  hands  upon  the  guilty 
party."  ^-t 

"The  warning  was  given  so  quickly,"  Stokes  answered,  "that 
I  was  in  hopes  of  catching  the  fellow  before  he  got  far  away,  but 
I  ran  against  this  servant,  made  a  mistake,  and  lost  time — that's 
the  truth  about  it.     So  now  I'll  have  to  begin  over."  a 

He  stepped  into  the  house  and  went  directly  to  the  dining- 
room,  feeling  disgusted  with  himself  for  having  made  such  a  show 
of  energy  without  a  decent  result.  ^iw 

The  district  attorney  followed  him,  leaving  Judge  Taylor  to  say 
good-night  to  De  Bjelkja  and  to  see  him  from  the  house. 

"See  here,  Stokes,"  said  the  district  attorney  in   a  low  tone, 

"you're  not  obliged  to  tell  the  whole  truth  to  everybody  who  asks 

you  a  question  just  now,  but  you  might  ^ive  me  a  pointer.     Do 

you  suspect  Cle  Hansen ?"  '"  " /''  |''/V' "  "" 

"Is  that  the  name  of  De  Bjelkja's  servant?*'*  '"-''V  ^';""*"  ' 
"Yes"  ■ 'M'ff  oh  OS  ■i'itioii 

"No,  I  don't  suspect  him."  ,..   .,r.,..  ..^g  tj  bh  ^o} 

"Do  you  suspect  anybody?"  ,   ,^^,,f,   ,^^^ 

"Oh,  nol  Ole  has  given  an  account  of  hims  .H  that  is  straight 
enough.  It  was  mere  accident  that  I  should  have  run  out  if^adi 
come  up  against  him  just  at  that  time."  r;  ,  ,. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry,"  remarked  the  district  at.:omey. 

"Sorry  for  what?" 

"Well,  I  thought  tiiat  you  might  have  made  another  of  yOur 


A  PUZZI^ER  FOR  HARVEY  STOKES. 


135 


brilliant  dashes  and  caught  the  guilty  party  of!  hand,  don't  you 
know?" 

"That's  the  worst  of  it.  I've  made  a  record  and  it  will  be 
impossible  to  keep  it  up.  But  never  you  mind — I'll  find  out  who 
committed  this  robbery  if.  I  have  to  stay  in  Circle  City  a  year!" 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  PUZZI.ER  POR  HARVSY  STOK^. 


or  ;n.; 


The  robbery  created  such  an  unpleasant  excitement  that  the 
party  at  Judge  Taylor's  broke  up  soon  after,  and  all  the  guests 
went  home  except  Stokes,  Mr.  Bellows,  and  the  district  attor- 
ney. 

Stokes  remained,  of  course,  for  the  purpose  of  making  an 
investigation  of  the  dining-room  and  grounds  generally. 

It  was  plain  at  a  glance  thet  the  thief  had  taken  a  quantity  of 
gold  and  silver  ware  from  the  dining  table  and  had  made  his  way 
from  the  room  by  a  window.  How  he  got  into  the  house  was  a 
mystery.     Who  he  was  was  equally  mysterious. 

Stokes  questioned  the  servants.  They  were  certain  that  nobody 
had  entered  the  house  through  the  back  doors,  and  they  had  seen 
no  strangers  other  than  the  guests  of  Judge  Taylor. 

Without  ^oing  into  the  details  of  their  explanations,  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  say  that  Stokes  was  satisfied  that  the  servants  were 
entirely  honest,  and  that  the  robbery  had  been  effected  during 
a  very  brief  moment  while  the  dining-room  "happened  to  be 
deserted  by  all  of  them. 

They  v/ere  engaged  in  removing  the  dishes,  etc.,  from  the 
difting-room  to  the  kitchen,  and  according  to  the  best  informa- 
tion they  could  give,  the  dining-room  had  not  been  empty  for 
more  than  a  minute  at  a  time. 

A  minute  would  be  long  enough  for  anybody  already  inside  the 
house  to  do  what  had  been  done. 

A  mere  handful  of  articles  had  been  stolen.  It  looked,  there- 
fore, as  if  somebody  must  have  been  on  the  watch  at  the  dining- 
room  door  ready  to  seize  an  opportunity  when  the  servants 
should  be  out  of  sight  to  rush  in,  grab  what  he  could  lay  his 
hands  on  and  bolt  through  a  window.  As  all  the  windows  had 
been  down  and  fastened  until  after  the  robbery  was  discovered, 
it  was  clear  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  thief  must  have  been  in  the 
house  during  all  or  most  all  of  the  evening. 

When  be  bad  come  to  this  cot^clusion,  which  be  did  not  state 


136 


A  PUZZLER  FOR  HARVEY  STOKES. 


to  anybody,  Stokes  questioned  Judge  Taylor  about  his  guests 
He  did  not  explain  his  reasons  for  asking  the  questions,  but  sim- 
ply asked  the  judge  to  tell  him  all  he  knew  about  every   person 
who  was  iu  the  company,  men  and  women  alike. 

The  result  of  the  most  searching  cross  examination  that  Stokes 
could  give  was  that  he  could  not  fix  his  suspicion  upon  anybody 
as  having  been  guilty  of  this  theft. 

His  mind  suddenly  turned  to  the  fact  of  his  having  come  across 
Ole  Hansen  immediately  after  the  robbery  was  discovered,  but 
the  good-natured  servant  appeared  to  have  made  a  perfectly  clear 
explanation  of  his  presence  in  the  grounds,  and  a  later  inspection 
showed  that  the  struggle  between  the  two  had  taken  place  upon 
the  driveway,  and  not,  as  Stokes  thought  at  the  time,  upon  the 
snow  beside  it. 

Before  he  was  done  with  the  matter  for  that  night  Stokes 
searched  the  grounds  all  around  the  house  with  a  lantern. 
Although  the  snow  beneath  the  dining-room  window  was 
scratched  as  if  with  a  boot  heel,  there  was  no  mark  there  suffi- 
ciently clear  to  serve  as  a  clew. 

Four  feet  away  from  the  window  the  snow  was  as  smooth  every- 
where as  if  it  had  never  been  trodden  upon,  so  that  there  was 
absolutely  nothing  to  indicate  which  direction  the  thief  had 
taken. 

After  he  had  made  all  *^he  investigations  he  could  think  of,  the 
detective  returned  to  the  library  for  the  double  purpose  of  getting 
warm  before  returning  to  his  hotel  and  for  thinking  the  thing 
over. 

"Well,  Stokes,"  said  the  district  attorney,  who  had  waited  to 
learn  the  result  of  his  study  of  the  problem,  "what  do  you 
think?" 

"I  don't  like  to  say  what  I  think,"  was  the  reply. 

"Don't  be  afraid  to  express  your  suspicions,  Stokes, "  said 
the  judge,  "no  matter  who  is  affected  by  it." 

"Oh,  that's  not  it,"  responded  Stokes.  "The  plain  fact  is  that 
at  this  moment  it  is  impossible  to  suspect  anybody." 

The  detective  sat  before  a  fire  burning  merrily  in  a  grate  and 
dropped  his  head  on  his  hands.  The  others  watched  him  in 
silence  foi  a  time,  and  then  the  district  attorney  remarked : 

"The  probability  is  that  the  fellow  had  some  ally  among  the 
servants  who  raised  the  window  for  him  and  so  let  him  in. " 

"Nonsense!"  cried  Stokes,  sitting  up.  "If  I  know  anything 
at  all  about  human  nature  there  is  nobody  among  the  servants 
who  had  a  hand  in  this." 

"There  is  no  doubt,  Stokes,  that  you  are  a  good  judge  of 
human  nature,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to  suspect  any  of  the  serv- 
ants, but  how  else  could  this  br  ciccounted  for?" 


A  PUZZLER  FOR  HARVEY  STOKES. 


137 


"Without  stopping  to  answer  that  question,"  was  the  detec- 
tive's reply,  "I  will  show  you  how  that  theory  doesn't  account 
for  it  at  all." 

"Well?" 

"Suppose  the  thief  had  a  confederate  among  the  servants." 

"Yes," 

"How  is  that  confederate  to  know  when  he  can  open  the  win- 
dow? Don't  you  see  that  the  one  guilty  servant  couldn't  know 
for  certain  just  how  long  the  others  oould  be  out  of  the  dining- 
room. 

"Don't  you  see  that  a  servant  in  opening  the  window  would  be 
likely  to  bring  suspicion  upon  himself?" 

"Yes,  that's  so;  but  still " 

"And  to  go  further,"  interrupted  Stokes,  "suppose  a  servant 
was  a  confederate  of  a  thief ;  wouldn't  it  have  been  much  easier 
to  have  passed  the  stolen  articles  to  the  thief  from  a  back  door 
or  through  some  kitchen  window?" 

"Yes,  that's  so,"  said  the  judge.  "If  a  servant  had  been  con- 
cerned in  it  he  could  easily  enough  have  done  up  a  quantity  of 
the  most  valuable  plate  and  dropped  is  out  of  the  back  door 
where  the  thief  could  get  it. ' ' 

"And  that  was  not  done,"  said  Stokes,  Confidently.  "Here  is 
a  fact  that  you  have  forgotten.  " 

"What  is  it?" 

"The  thief  did  not  take  the  most  valuable  articles  from  your 
table." 

"That's  so." 

"And  that  proves  that  he  had  no  time  to  take  his  pick;  he 
was  in  a  hurry ;  he  had  to  get  what  first  came  to  hand. 

"It  all  goes  to  prove  that  the  thief  was  in  this  house,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  it,  but  he  was  among  the  guests. 

'.'Now,  then,  who  was  the. first  person  to  go  home?" 

"That's  a  shocking  suspicion  that  you  express,"  said  the 
judge,  gravely. 

"You  told  me  not  to  mind  who  was  hit  by  it, "  retorted  Stokes, 
"and  besides  that,  it  is  not  a  suspicion,  it  is  a  fact." 

"I  can't  think   that   anyone  of  my  guests "  the  judge 

began  slowly,  when  Stokes  interrupted. 

"Who  went  home  fir.st,  Judge  Taylor?" 

"Well,  let  me  see.  The  onlj' person  who  left  the  house  after 
the  refreshments  were  served  and  before  the  announcement  of  the 
robbery  was  Mr.  White," 

"Who  is  he?" 

"White  is  one  of  the  unimportant  secretaries  at  the  government 
office.  He  always  goes  home  early  from  such  affairs — iu  fact  he 
seldom  goes  out  at  all. 


138 


A  PUZZLER  FOR  HARVEY  STOKES. 


.-,  VI  don't  think  your  suspicion  will  be  worth  anything  if  you 
fix  it  upon  him." 

"Oh,  I  don't.  The  very  fact  that  he  had  left  the  house  proves 
that  he  could  not  have  had  a  hand  in  the  robbery.  It  was  some- 
body else," 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  and  then  Stokes  added : 

"Can't  you  think  of  anybody  among  your  guests  who  disap- 
peared about  the  time  the  robbery  was  taking  place?"  J^;"f  ;• 

The  judge  thought  a  moment  and  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"All  the  men  in  the  party,"  he  said,  "were  in  the  library 
except  you  and  me. " 

There  was  another  silence  after  this  and  the  Stokes,  remarking 
that  it  was  quite  a  mystery,  got  up  to  go. 

" What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  inquired  the  district 
attorney,  preparing  to'go  with  him. 

"I  shall  keep  on  thinking,"  replied  Stokes,  "and  before  long 
i  expect  to  have  something  to  say. 

"By  the  way,  were  all  these  other  robberiies  of  this  same 
kind?" 

"Yes,"  replied  the  district  attorney,  "to  the  extent  that  gold 
and  silver  plate  was  stolen,  and  usually  the  robbery  was  effected 
during  some  social  gathering,  but  this  is  the  only  time  that  the 
matter  was  discovered  so  quickly,  and  the  only  time  when  there 
seemed  to  b^  a  chance  for  a  clew,  and  yet  the  only  time  when 
there  was  so  great  a  mystery  about  it. ' ' 

Stokes  parted  from  the  district  attorney  before  he  reached  his 
home.  Mr.  Bellows  had  gone  to  his  hotel  ahead  of  him. 

The  detective  walked  along  the  deserted  street,  head  down, 
trying  to  solve  the  perplexing  puzzle  connected  with  the  rob- 
bery, and  wondering  again  and  again  whether  after  all  Ole  Han- 
sen might  have  had  a  hand  in  it. 

Just  before  he  reached  his  house  he  found  himself  cbii[fii6nted  by 
a  tall  man,  who  said  pleasantly : 

"I  look  for  you."  ;^'' ,    . 

By  the  light  of  the  street  lamp  Stokes  recognized  Ole.'  /*' ■^' ' 

"Oh!"  said  Stokes,  "aren't  you  out  late?"  ' 


"Yah!" 
to-night." 


was   the     good-humored 


««i 


response.     "I    no    sleep 

uliadid-irT/ 


'Why  not?" 

"You  t'ink  I  t'ief,"  responded  Ole,  seriously,  and  yet  with  a 
smile. 

"Who  told  you  so?" 

"Oh,  t'e  captain  he  say  somet'iu^s.  And  I  t'ink  you  t'ink 
met'ief-hey?''  -A^i"^,-,, 


you 


Stokes  shook  his  head. 


•\H''ro''>f'th 


-    -  J- 


S 


'The  fact  is,   Ole,"   he  answered,   "that  at  the  very  first, 


A  PUZZIyER  FOR  HARVUY  STOKES. 


139 


f  you 


when  we  were  struggling  there  in  front  of  the  judge's  house,  I 
did  think  I  had  a  thief  in  my  Hands,  but  later  I  changed  my 
mind." 

"Ah!  you  changed  your  mind ?" 

"Yes."  ;!^ 

"And  you  no  t'ink  I  t'ief  some  more — hey?" 

"No,  but  I  think  it  was  unlucky  for  you  that  you  came  along 
just  then. " 

"Yah,  very  unlucky." 

The  big  Swede  looked  really  troubled. 

"I  no  like,"  he  said  after  a  moment. 

"Why,  what's  on  your  mind?"  asked  Stokes, 

"You  very  honest,"  was  the  reply.  "You  nice  man,  you  say 
nice  t'ings,  but  I  no  can  help  it.     You  still  t'ink " 

"Now,  if  that's  worrying  you,  Ole,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  "you 
go  to  bed  without  any  further  anxiety.     I  have  every  reason  to 
think  that  you  are  not  the  thief. ' ' 
,^    "Yah,  I  understand." 

The  Swede  spoke  doubtfully  in  spite  of  his  assertion. 

"I'm  not  going  to  stop,"  continued   Stokes,  "to  tell  you  just 
what  I  think  or  why  I  thifik  so,  but  the  fact  is,  as  I   say,  that  I 
have  the  best  of  reasons  for  believing  that  you  could  not  have  been 
.Jie  thief  if  you  wanted  to  be." 

:^r-  Stokes  had  in  mind  the  theory,  which  he  believed  to  be  posi- 
tive, that  the  thief  must  have  been  one  of  the  guests.  He  was 
about  to  pass  on,  but  Ole  stopped  him  again. 

"You  no  say  who  you  t'ink?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  no,"  he  replied,  "I'm  not  saying  anything  of  that  kind 
to  anybody.     Good-night." 

He  turned  aside  and  passed  Ole,  who  stood  stock  still. 

After  a  pace  or  two  Stokes  turned  around  and  saw  that  Ole  was 
on  the  same  spot,  thoughtfully  rubbing  his  chin. 

"You  no  say  who?"  asked  Ole  again. 

"Not  I,"  Stokes  returned,  good-naturedly,  but  wondering  a 
little  at  the  fellow's  persistence. 

' '  Well, ' '  said  the  Swede  with  a  sigh,  ' '  not  now,  perhaps  to-mor- 
row ?' ' 

"I  won't  promise,"  responded  Stokes. 

With  that  he  said  good-night  again  and  went  on,  leaving  the 
Swede  still  standing  in  the  street  and  thinking  it  over. 

"He's  a  good  deal  troubled  about  it, "  thought  Stokes.  "I 
suppose  his  master.  Captain  De  Bjelkja,  has  been  hauling  him 
over  the  coals  for  getting  himself  into  a  suspicious  situation. 

"Perhaps  Ole  Hanson  would  be  the  best-pledsed  man  in  Circle 
City  if  I  should  discover  the  thief. 

"Something  may  happen  before  long,  before  another  day  goes 


I40 


OLE'S   DISCOVERY. 


by,  and  at  any  rate  I  am   afraid   Mr.  Bellows  will  have   to   post- 
pone liis  work  until  I  can  clear  this  thing  up. 

"It  just  galls  me  to  think  of  a  robbery  taking  place  at  that 
house  where  I  was  present,  and  that  I  can't  make  head  or  tail 
of  it." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
DICE'S     DISCOVERY. 

Several  hours  passed  before  Stokes  went  to  sleep.  He  spent  the 
time  in  going  from  one  tough  resort  to  another  in  the  hope  of  see- 
ing something  or  hearing  something  that  might  give  him  a  clue 
to  the  thfef's  identity. 

The  detective  might  have  been  in  bed  for  all  the  information 
that  he  got  out  of  his  late  vt^atch. 

Nothing  whatever  occurred  to  throw' any  light  upon  the  prob- 
lem, and  when  at  last  he  lay  down  to  sleep  he  almost  felt  discour- 
aged. 

He  allowed  himself  a  very  short  rest,  and  when  he  awoke, 
shortly  after  sunrise,  it  was  with  new  determination  to  solve  the 
mystery  and  with  a  sudden  conviction  that  he  knew  how  it  was 
to  be  done. 

It  often  happens  that  after  a  man  has  puzzled  a  long  time  over 
a  perplexing  subject  the  light  breaks  on  him  suddenly  and  he 
sees  the  solution  clearly;  it  was  so  with  Stokes. 

He  awoke  with  a  full-planned  theory  in  his  head,  and  along 
the  lines  of  that  theory  he  determined  to  work  until  he  should 
have  tested  it  thoroughly. 

Feeling  that  he  was  bound  in  honor  to  give  Mr.  Bellows  a  call, 
he  went  to  that  gentleman's  hotel,  but  found  that  he  was  not  yet 
out  of  bed,  so  Stokes  left  word  there  that  he  was  going  to  stroll 
for  two  or  three  hours,  and  went  to  the  vicinity  of  Judge  Taj'lor's 
house. 

There  he  began  a  patient,  systematic  search  of  the  neigtSor- 
hooil  to  the  north  of  the  house,  going  back  and  forth  over  the 
ground  much  as  if  he  were  plowing  the  field. 

He  walked  rapidly,  keeping  his  eyes  almost  all  the  time  upon 
the  snow,  and  when  he  had  paced  back  and  forth  over  what 
would  amount  to  many  acres  he  went  to  the  east  side  of  the  house 
and  pursued  the  same  tactics. 

Apparently  he  had  found  nothing  to  justify  his  theory  when  a 


OLE'S  DISCOVERY. 


141 


little  before  noon  he  dropped  that  line  of  work  in  order   to  hunt 
up  Mr.  Bellows. 

He  found  that  gentleman  waiting  for  him  at  the  hotel. 

"Well,  Stokes,"  said  Bellows,  "what  have  you  been  up  to?" 

•'I've  been  raking  the  ground  around  the  judge's  house," 
Stokes  replied,  "hunting  for  the  missing  articles." 

"Find  any  trace  of  them?" 

"Not  yet,  but  I've  still  got  to  cover  the  west  and  south  sides  of 
the  house,  and  if  you  haven't  anything  for  me  to  do  I'd  like  to 
go  back  and  complete  the  search.  '^ 

"You  don't  really  expect  to  find  them,  do  you?" 

• '  Nothing  would  surprise  me  less. ' ' 

"Well,  you're  a  shrewd  card,  and  I  don't  suppose  anybody  in 
Circle  City  now  would  be  surprised  at  your  accomplishing  any- 
thing." 

"That's  the  hard  part  of  it." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  people  except  me  to  do  things  that  may  be  impos- 
sible.    However,  I'm  going  to  try." 

"Go  ahead,  then,  for  as  far  as  I'm  concerned,  there  is  not 
anything  that  you  need  to  attend  to  just  now. 

"I've  got  a  deal  on  hand  that  I'm  perfectly  satisfied  with,  and 
it  would  be  simply  wasting  your  time  to  ask  your  advice  about 
it." 

Stokes  looked  curiously  at  his  patron. 

"Of  course  it's  not  any  of  my  business  if  you  make  a  deal  with- 
out telling  me.  of  it;  but  yet  I  thought  you  were  anxious  to  hav« 
me  in  on  all  your  transactions. " 

"Oh,  well,"  responded  Bellows,  confidently,  "I  don't  object  to 
telling  you  at  all.     You  mustn't  think  that. 

"It  was  with  these  mining  prospectors  that  I  feared  trouble 
and  frauds.  When  I'm  dealing  with  experienced  business  men  I 
am  quite  able  to  take  care  of  myself. ' ' 

"Oh!"  said  Stokes. 

"And  the  man  I  am  dickering  with  now,"  continued  Bellows, 
"is  that  Swedish  captain,  De  Bilkyou,  or  whatever  he  is  called." 

" Has  De  Bjelkja  offered  to  sell  you  a  mine?"  Stokes  asked, 
quietly. 

"Yes.  He's  got  a  stunning  property  that  he  has  picked  up 
since  he  has  been  here,  and  as  he  doesn't  care  to  stay  to  develop 
it  he  is  willing  to  let  it  go  at  a  very  reasonable  figure. " 

"I  should  think  he  might." 

"Why  not?  He  is  a  soldier  in  the  service  of  his  king,  and  his 
leave  of  absence  will  be  up  in  the  course  of  a  few  months. 

"It  will  profit  him  more  to  sell  it  now  than  to  hang  on  here 


H9 


OhU'S  DISCOVERY. 


investing  more  money  in  it  in  the  hope  of  a  better  customer  com- 
ing along." 

" That's  so." 

There  was  something  queer  in  Stokes'  tone,  and  Bellows  looked 
at  him  sharply. 

"You  don't  see  anything  objectionable  in  that  deal,  do  you, 
Stokes  ?' '  the  eHer  man  asked. 

"Not  the  least  bit,"  was  the  reply,  **ii  you  are  arguing  for  De 
Bjelkja." 

"Arguing  for  De  Bilkyou?"  returned  Bellows  in  surprise. 
"Why,  of  course  I'm  not." 

"I  thought  you  were" 

"What  do  you  mean,  Sttkes?" 

"Why,  just  this.  You're  showing  how  handy  it  is  that  this 
Swedish  captain,  knocking  around  he  world  for  the  fun  of  it, 
should  pick  up  a  stray  mine  at  a  bargain  and  then  stumble  upon 
a  rich  man  from  New  York  within  a  few  days  who  is  willing  to 
take  it  off  his  heads  at  a  profit. 

"I  say  that's  a  thundering  good  thing  for  De  Bjelkja,  that' S 
all." 

"Stokes,  you'te  holding  something  back  from  me." 

"You  haven't  asked  me  for  anything  yet — my  opinion  or  any- 
thing else, ' ' 

''But  of  course  you  know  I  want  it." 

"The\?  why  do  you  tell  me  you  are  perfectly  competent  to  han- 
dle a  busi.\ess  transaction  with  De  Bjelkja?" 

"Well,     think  I  am." 

"Then  },o  ahead,  Mr.  Bellowc,  but  when  you  do,  simply  con- 
sider that  our  arrangement  is  off.     Is  that  clear?" 

Bellows  looked  at  the  detective  in  amazement  and  witk  .ootDfS- 
thing  like  wrath.  ^ri  ;i»j\^    •♦"^i  h'i~^''  ^''rfA*' 

"Come,  now,"  he  said,  "there's  no  sense  in  your  taking 
offence  because  I  choose  to  make  a^-arraagement.  without  con- 
sulting you."  .'If:..--         -a   f,;^   T   r,-;.|t  <,-, 

"I'm  not  sensitive,"  retorted  Stokes.  "The  only  point  is  that 
you  have  tried  to  engage  me  to  protect  you  from  being  buncoed, 
and  on  the  first  occasion  when  there  is  a  chance  for  me  to  do  you 
a  service  you  coolly  throw  me  over.  •  rov  Jfifl/ 

' '  That  shows  that  I'm  not  of  any  use  to  you. " 

"But  you  don't  mean  that  you  would  advise  against  dealing 
with  De  Bilkyou?'' 

"I  certainly  do." 

"Why,  but,  man  alive,  De  Bilkyou  is  an  officer  in  the  Swed- 
ish army,  and  he  briags  letters  of  introduction  to  the  officials 
here  that  testify  to  his  character  in  the  highest  terms      I   have 


OlvE'S  DISCOVERY. 


143 


seen  the  letters  myself,  and  I  would  feel  as  sure  as  if  I  were*  bar- 
gaining with  the  King  of  Sweden  himself." 

'*Then  go  ahead,"  exclaimed  Stokes,  impatiently.     "Give  the 
Swede  all  he  asks  for,  but  count  me  out  of  it  hereafter." 

'  *  But  what  do  you  know  about  the  captain  that  makes  you  so 
suspicious?" 

"Perhaps  I  don't  know  anything,  and  anyhow  I'm  not  telling 
what  I  know. 

"  I  am  going  now  to  resume  my  hunt  for  Judge  Taylor's  miss- 
ing property. 

"I  give  you  fair  warning,  if  you  deal  with  De  Bjelkjayou  will 
regret  it. ' ' 

With  this  Stokes  marched  away,  leaving  Bellows  half  angry  and 
half  puzzled. 

He  really  had  a  good  deal  of  confidence  in  Stokes'  judgment, 
or  else  he  would  not  have  engaged  him. 

He  felt  that  the  detective  was  too  sensitive  and  that  he  ought  to 
have  given  his  patron  the  advantage  of  all  his  secret  thougb  on 
•^he  matter,  but  Mr.  Bellows,  nevertheless,  was   a  good   enough 

isiness  man  to  be  somewhat  scared  by  the  detective's  emphatic 

y  of  advising  against  the  Swede. 

"*  "Stokes  has  probably  gone  off  at  half  cock  this  time,"  thought 

Bellows.     "It  is  not  likely  that  he  would  be  right  always,    and 

yet  it  may  be  just  as  well  to  wait  a  bit  before  coming  to  terms 

with  De  Bilkyou. 

"I  must  trj^  to  get  Stokes  to  tell  me  more  about  it." 

Stokes  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Judge  Taylor's  house. 

It  was  his  intention,  as  he  told  Bellows,  to  search  around  the 
south  side  of  the  building,  but  his  plans  were  changed  by  meet- 
ing Ole  Hansen  almost  in  front  of  the  gate  to  the  Taylor 
grounds. 

"Ah!"  said  Ole,  with  his  evrh  ^ting  smile.  "What  you  t'ink 
t'is  morning — hey  ?' ' 

"I  don't  know  that  there's  any  reason  for  thinking  any  differ- 
ent than  I  did  last  night,  Ole,"  Stokes  answered. 
ji   The  Swede  wore  a  long  overcoat  and   had   his  hands  plunged 
Into  the  pockets.     He  stood  looking  steadily  at  Stokes,  and   in 
spite  of  his  smile  his  face  became  serious. 

"What  you  t'ink  ?"  he  repeated.     And  without  waiting  for  an 
answer  continued:     "I  tell  you  what  I  t'ink — hey?" 
"Go  ahead,  Ole." 

"I  t'ink  first  somebody  steal.     T' at  right— hey  ?" 
"Yes,  that's  right." 
'    "I  t'ink  next  he  go  out  t'e  dining-rocmi  window— hey  ?*' 
"Shouldn't  wonder,"  ai^rirK'  srl  hr.i>  .Yitrt- 

"T'en,  8ee,»I  go  long  way  from  t'at  t'onght.    I  fink  t'en  sotne- 


144 


CLE'S  DISCOVERY. 


body,  not  you,  perh  ips,  but  most  everybody  else  t'ink  Ole  done 
t'e  fief— hey?" 

"I'm  not  sure,"  said  Stokes,  "that  everybody  thinks  you're 
the  thief.  In  fact,  I  don't  believe  that  you  are  under  suspicion 
at  all." 

"No?  Veil,  I  t'ink  all  night  long  how  people  look  cross-eyed 
at  Ole  Hansen.     I  no  like  t'at;  would  you?" 

"No,  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  under  suspicion." 

' '  What  you  do  if  you  were  ?' ' 

"What  would  I  do  if  I  were  under  suspicion?  Why,  I  suppose 
that  I  would  try  to  prove  that  I  was  innocent. " 

The  Swede  smiled  joyously. 

"Ah!"  he  cried.  "T' at' s  good;  t'at  what  I  do.  T'at  why  I 
come  out  here  and  look  round  here,  everywhere,  to  find  who  t'e 
ti'ef." 

"Well,  have  you  found  him?" 

*'No,  but  I  find  somet'ing  else." 
^^♦Whatisit?"  ^ 

"See!" 

Ole  slowly  drew  hts  hands  from  his  pockets  and  displayed  in 
one  a  gold  cup  and  in  another  a  silver  dish. 

"Yudge  Taylor's, "  said  Ole,  triumphantly,  as  he  turned  the 
silver  dish  over  and  showed  the  Taylor  monogram  engraved 
upon  it. 

"T'is  too,  I  t'ink,"  he  continued,  indicating  the  gold  cup. 

Stokes  said  nothiag,  but  looked  on  with  great  interest. 

Ole  placed  the  articles  upon  the  snow  and  then  dove  into  his 
great  pockets  again.  From  them  he  produced  half  a  dozen  other 
articles,  all  of  which  had  undoubtedly  been  taken  from  Judge 
Taylor's  table. 

"T'at's  all,"  he  ;  aid  presently  and  looked  up  expectantly  at 
Stokes.  He  "Vis  at  that  moment  kneeling  upon  the  snow  with  the 
stolen  articles  before  him. 

"Where  did  you  find  them?"  asked  Stokes,  quietly. 

THe  Swede  turned  half  around  and  pointed  to  a  vacant  field  a 
little  way  to  the  south  of  Judge  Taylor's  residence. 

' '  See  t'at  gieat  rock  ?' '  he  asked. 

"That  bowlder  in  the  middle  of  the  fielc  ?" 
.    "Yah." 

"Well?" 

"Ill  t'e  snow  behind  t'e  rock." 

"Show  me  the  place,  will  you?" 

"Yah!"  returned  the  Swede,  doubtfully.  "But  I  go  first  to 
take  t'ese  to  my  master,  t'e  captain." 

" No, "  returned  Stokes,  emphatically.  "Show  me  wliereyou 
found  them.  *' 


OLE'S  DISCOVERY. 


tAS 


"All  right,  t'en;  yust  as  you  say." 

Ole  gathered  the  articles  up  and  replaced  them  in  his  pockets, 
and  then,  with  a  cheerful  "TMs  way,"  he  marched  up  the  road 
and  turned  into  the  field,  leading  Stokes  directly  to  the  bowlder. 

Behind  it  there  was  a  hole  in  the  cru'jt  of  snow,  and  inside 
were  two  or  three  hollows,  evidently  made  by  the  gold  and  silver 
articles  while  lying  there. 

"How  did  yoii  findihis.''"  Stokes  asked. 

"Oh!  I  hunt,  and  hunt,"  answered  the  Swede,  with  a  broad 
gesture. 

"I  look  everywhere,  and  t'ink  how  t'at  t'ief  have  little  time; 
how  he  mustn't  be  found  with  t'e  t'ings  in  him  packet,  so  I  t'ink 
most  like  he  buried  t'em  in  t'e  snow. 

"I  look  long  time  and  find  not'ing.  T'en  I  come  to  t'is  rock 
and  see  marks.     I  show  you. ' ' 

Ole  went  two  or  three  paces  from  the  bowlder  and  knelt  upon  . 
the  snow.    Then  he  took  out  a  pocket  knife,  opened  it,  and  with 
the  blade  cut  a  square  iii  the  surface  of  the  crust. 

When  he  had  drawn  his  knife  through  the  crust  upon  all  four 
sides  he  carefully  brought  the  crust  up  and  laid  it  as  he  would 
a  plate  apon  the  snow  I  aside  him. 

Then  he  pressed  the  light  snow  in  the  hole  down  until  there 
was  a  considerable  cavity  below. 

"You  see,"  he  said,  with  a  pleasant  smile,  "t'e  t'itf  make  t'is 
hole  like  t'is.  T'en  he  put  all  t'et  t'ings  inside,  put  t'e  cover 
back  again,  and  t'en  nobody  suspect — hey?" 

Stokes  was  immediately  interested.  This  was  exactly  the  kind 
of  disco'.ery  he  had  hoped  to  make  all  the  morning.  He  had 
reasoned  it  out  that  tht  thief  would  make  just  such  a  disposition 
of  his  booty  until  all  search  for  it  had  ceased,  when  he  could  go 
to  the  hiding  place  and  take  it  away  without   fear   of   detection. 

"Well,  Ole,  you're  right.  Nobody  would  suspect  such  a  hid- 
ing place,  but  you  did.     How  did  you  happen  to  find  it?" 

"Ah!"  was  the  reply.  "You  remember  t'e  t'ief  work  in  f'i 
night.  In  t'e  dark  he  not  cover  t'e  hole  exactly,  perhaps  he  t  •/- 
ried,  perhaps  scared;  anyhow,  one  little  corner  of  t'e  cover  vn.i 
broke  off. 

"It — what  you  call  it? — give  way  t'e  snap— hey?" 

"I  see,"  said  Stokes.     "You  noticed  there  was  a  little  hole  in 

the  crust  of  the  snow,  and  put  your  fingers  in  and  lifted   oflf  the 

covet,  and  there  were  the  articles.     Is  that  it?" 
"Yah." 

Ole  grinnf.'d  in  the  most  contented  way  at  this  and  stood  up. 
"All  s'ght,"  said  Stokes.     "Now  we'll  go  and  find  the  ovp- 
tain." 


146 


DICE'S  DISCOVERY. 


"I  t'ink  nobody  t'ink  Ole  Hansen  a  t'ief  now — ^hey?'» 
remarked  the  Swede  as  they  tramped  along. 

"I  guess  everybody  will  believe  that  you  are  a  very  honest 
man,"  was  the  detective's  response.     To  himself  Stokes  added: 

*'I  haven't  had  very  much  experience,  but  I  must  say  that  I 
wouldn't  have  supposed  a  fellow  could  play  the  honest  man  as 
well  as  Ole  does. 

"He'll  be  a  difficult  f  fellow  to  trip  up.  I  can  understand  now 
what  I  have  so  often  heard,  that  it's  one  thing  to  be  morally  cer- 
tain that  a  man  is  guilty  and  another  thing  to  prove  it. 


ff?  J 

Sr:e 

a-Tl 

'.'    'i 

.*(>U 

la  1' 

'/h 

..,t  h.. 

t  / 

->HfiM 

.*    i  ?  i 

^ 

.    -,- 

tfirl? 

r;»»>oi; 

man 


ant,  ( 
Th 


A  PITFALU 


147 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


1  ■" 


A  PITFAI,!,. 


ill  ^  ;*iuv,' 


^ivr 


T'! 


ins  .5: 
.(ft 
7" 


cap- 
here 


"That  was  a  very  shrewd  discovery  of  yours,  Ole,"  Stokes 
remarked. 

"Yah!  Yout'inkso?" 

"How  long  did  it  take  to  find  that  place ?'* 

"Oh!  a  long  time." 

"I  should  think  so.  You  must  have  been  several  hours  about 
it?" 

' '  Hah,  since  sunrise. ' ' 

"That's  a  lie, "  thought  Stokes.  "I  would  have  seen  him  hunt- 
ing if  he  had  been  at  work  that  long. 

"It's  a  lie  sure  enough,  but  I  can't  prove  it — not  yet." 

When  they  arrived  at  De  Bjelkja's  hotel   they  found   the 
tain  and  Bellows  in  conversation. 

"Ah!  Mr,    Stokes,"  said   the  captain,  pleasantly.    "Is 
any  news  about  the  affair  at  Judge  Taylor's?" 

' '  Yes.     Ole  has  some  news, ' ' 

The  captain's  face  darkened. 

"Well,  Ole,  what  have  you  been  up  to  now?"  he  asked. 

"I  hunt  foi  t'e  stolen  t'ings, "  the  servant  answered,  and  again 
he  produced  the  articles  from  his  pocket. 

The  captain's  eyes  opened  wide '  with  astonishment  and  he 
looked  inquiringly  ut  Stokes.  Ole,  too,  gazed  at  him,  as  if 
expecting  him  to  speak. 

"I  take  no  credit  for  finding  the  articles,"  said  Stokes. 
"At  least  Ole  had  them  in  his  pocket  when  I  met  him." 

"In  his  pocket!"  exclaimed  the  captain. 

' '  Yes.     He  can  tell  you  about  it. ' ' 

"Yah!"  said  Ole,  without  the  slightest  concern.  "Ibringt'em 
to  you,  T'is  detective  man  want  me  show  him  t'e  place  where 
t'ey  were  hidden,  and  I  do  so,  t'at  if.  all," 

"Well,"  exclaimed  the  captain,  energetically,  "I'm  not  the 
man  to  show  them  to — Judge  Taylor  is  the  interested  party." 

"I  want  you  t'ink  no  more  Ole  Hansen  a  t'ief,"  said  the  serv- 
ant, earnestly. 

The  captain  scowled  a  moment  and  then  said,  indifferently: 

"Well,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  never  did  suppose  that  you  were 


148 


A  PITFALL. 


a  thief.    If  there  was  any  suspicion  against  you  there  is  no  doubt 
but  you  have  taken  the  light  course  to  clear  yourself. 

"Take  the  stuff  to  Judge  Taylor  at  once  and  explain  the  mat- 
ter to  him." 

Ole  again  pocketed  the  stolen  articles  and  started  away  obedi- 
ently. 

Stokes  let  him  go  alone,  his  idea  being  that  if  Ole  felt  that  he  was 
under  suspicion  it  would  be  better  to  convince  him,  if  possible, 
that  he  was  nov/  regarded  as  honest, 

"He'll  deliver  those  goods  all  right, "  Stokes  reflected,  "and 
it  will  be  better  to  throw  him  off  the  track  than  appear  to  be 
shadowing  him. " 

Accordingly,  although  he  had  no  desire  to  do  so,  he  remained 
and  fell  into  conversation  with  the  captain  and  Bellows.  The 
latter  immediately  turned  the  talk  to  the  discussion  of  the  cap- 
tain's mining  property. 

The  Swede  described  it  in  glowing  language,  and  even  showed 
Stokes  some  papers  which  appeared  to  justify  his  claim  to  owner- 
ship of  it. 

Stokes  listened  with  apparent  interest,  but  really  indifference. 
He  had  never  heard  of  the  mine  before.  There  were  hundreds 
and  hundeds  of  mines  little  known  and  the  captain's  property 
might  be  real  or  fictitious.  It  mattered  little  to  Stokes  which  it 
was.     He  was  certain  in  any  case,  it  was  worthless. 

Bellows  himself  remained  silent  for  the  most  part.  He  was 
studying  Stokes'  face  and  trying  to  get  some  idea  of  the  detec- 
tive's thoughts. 

At  last  the  captain  himself  asked  Stokes  that  he  thought  of  the 
property. 

"I  should  simply  say  this,  ckptain, "  answered  Stokes,  quietly. 
"It  is  necessary  for  the  purchaser  to  see  the  ground  himself." 

"Well,"  responded  the  captain,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "I 
presume  that  ordinarily  such  caution  is  necessary. "" 

"You  see,"  put  in  Bellows  in  an  embarrassed  way,  "Stokes  is 
very  faithful.  He  would  rather  make  a  mistake  on  the  side  of 
caution  than  to  see  me  run  the  chance  of " 

' '  Speak  it  out, "  said  the  captain.  ' '  Stokes  doesn't  want  to  see 
you  swindled. ' ' 

The  captain  smiled  pleasantly,  and  Bellows  remarked  that  that 
was  using  stronger  language  than  Stokes  himself  would. 

"Of  course  it  is,"  said  Stokes.  "I  didn't  suggest  that  there 
was  any  swindle  connected  with  this. 

"I  simply  said  it  was  the  custom  in  such  matters  for  the  man  to 
see  the  property.     The  purchaser  ought  to  be  satisfied  about  it." 

There  was  some  further  talk  qi  this  nature  before  Stokes  could 


A   PiTFAtL. 


149 


break  away.  He  went  directly  to  the  fort,  where  he  hunted  up 
the  private  soldier,  his  friend  Muldoon.  "«'  '  -  '"'■  ''"'"    ' 

"See  here,  Muldoon,"  he  said,  "what  have  you  got  against 
Captain  DeBjelkja^' 

"Me?    Oh!  nothing  much, "  was  the  answer.  s  otO 

' '  Yes  you  have,  now.     Out  with  it. " 

"What  do  you  want  to  know  for?" 

"I  am  thinking  of  standing  in  with  him  on  a  little  deal."  ' 

"  To  be  partners  with  him  ?"  on  3bv 

"Well,  something  like  that."  ' 

"Then,  see  here,  me  boy;  if  yous  are  goin'  to  be  De  Bilkyou's 
partner  you'll  win,  but  it's  not  certain  that  you'll  get  your  share; 
understand?" 

"And  if  you.ain't  goin'  to  be  his  partner  you'll  get  left." 

"What  makes  you  think  so?" 

"Ever  seen  De  Bilkyou  play  cards?" 

"No.     I  only  met  him  yesterday." 

"Well,  sit  into  a  game  with  him  some  time,  and  you'll  find  he 
always  wins." 

"You  think  he's  crooked,  don't  you,  Muldoon?" 

"I  know  he   always  wins.     Ain't   that   enough?     I   was   the 

major's  orderly  for  a  few  days  last  week,  and  I  seen  a  couple  of 

all-night  sessions  at  poker. 

"Mo«*t  every  officer  in  the  barracks  was  cleaned  out,  and  as 
there's  not  another  pay  day  for  a  month  yet,  there's  pqitiiing, ? lef t 
here  for  De  Bilkyou  to  play  against;  see?  J7"/'  . 'V, 

"So  he's  gone  in  society.  If  he  ever  plays  cards,  watch  fatm — 
that's  all." 

"Did  you  see  anything  about  his  style  of  playing  that  looked 
crooked?" 

"Nothing,  Stokes.  He's  too  clever  for  that.  But  when  you 
see  a  man  lose  only  his  ante  in  ordinary  hands  and  win  every  jack 
pot  hand  running,  I'm  thinking  you  don't  want  to  play 
against 'him,  that's  all. " 

This  was  the  most  that  Stokes  could  get  out  of  Muldoon,  but 
it  was  suflScient  to  confirm  his  suspicions.  ' 

He  walked  slowly  back  to  his  hotel,  and  as  he  thought  the  case 
over  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  only  way  that  he  could  possibly 
operate  successfully  against  the  Swedish  captain  would  be  by 
appearing  to  be  fiiendly  with  him,  and  await  some  chance  for 
exposure  of  his  trickery. 

Stokes  was  perfectly  convinced  that  Die  was  the  thief  that 
operated  at  Judge  Taylor's.  He  presumed  that  he  was  the  thief 
that  had  operated  at  other  houses.  {  "^^i"  -- 


ISO 


A   PITFALL. 


He  was  a  good  deal  more  than  half  convinced  that  tl}e  captfiin 
was  in  league  with  the  sifervant.  h^inirtu:- 

"They  stand  together,  or  I'm  a  sinner,"  he  said  to  himself. 
" '  And  they  are  so  clever  that  there  is  no  way  of  getting  evidence 
against  what  they  have  done  in  the  past  The  only  thing  to  do 
will  be  to  catch  ihem  in  something  they  are  at — something  new. 
"I  thought" — and  he  smiled  a  little  bitterly — "I  was  going 
to  be  clever  enough  to  catch  the  thief  last  night.  I  was  outwitted 
then,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  again,  but  I  think  not. 

"At  all  events,   I've  got  to  go  into  society  and  watch  that 
pair. ' ' 

The  district  attorney  was  waiting  for  Stokes  at  the  hotel. 
"Well,  Stokes,"  he  said  ,  "what  do  you  think  of  this  discov- 
ery of  Taylor's  property?" 

"I  think,"  Stokes  answered,  "that  it's  going  to  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  the  thief. " 

' '  You  have  not  giveji  it  up,  then  ?'  * 
i   "Not  much."  %i  V  ../-il  i.i:\«j^w 

i  I-  "You're  going  to  keep  your  thoughts  to  yourself?" 
"  For  the  present.     But  you  caa  help  me. " 
"How?" 
'  :  "Get  me  an  invitation  to  whatever  is  going  on  for  the  next  few 
evenings." 

"  That  will  be  easy  enough.  You  will  probably  find  yourself 
invited  everywhere. " 

This  was  indeed  the  case.  Stokes  found  several  notes  of  invita- 
tion awaiting  him  from  persons  of  prominent  position.  They 
wete  all  for  different  nights,  so  that  he  was  able  to  accept  them 
all. 

'  •  The  chances  are, ' '  he  thought,  ' '  that  De  Bjelkja  will  be  pres- 
ent at  all  these  affairs,  and  I  may  have  a  chance  to  study  his 
style  at  card  playing. ' ' 

Accordingly  Stokes  took  himself  that  evening  to  one  of  the 
leading  houses  of  Circle  City,  where  a  smaller  party  than  that  of 
Judge  Taylor's  was  assembled,  but  where  the  evening  was  passed 
in  much  the  same  way.  The  detective  went  there  early. 
Time  dragged  heavily  for  a  while,  because  his  anxieties  were 
considerably  aroused  by  two  facts. 

The  first  was  that  nearly  everybody  in  the  city  of  any  means 
whatever  seemed  to  be  interested  in  De  Bjekja's  schemes. 

In  most  instances  the  Swede  had  picked  up  valuable  mines, 
which  he  was  willing  to  dispose  of  at  a  sacrifice  because  of  his 
necessary  return  to  his  native  country,  bu*  there  were  other  enter- 
prises besides  mines,  and  all  of  them  were  discussed  with  that 
quiet  confidence  that  showed  Stokes  that  the  people  were  likely 


A   PltPALt. 


151 


to  be  taken  in  by  the  swindler  ad  completely  as  if  they  had  been 
captured  by  an  invading  army.  That  De  Bjelkja  was  a  swindler 
he  had  not  the  slightest  doubt. 

The  second  fact  that  gave  him  cause  for  worry  was  the  delay 
in  De  Bjelkja's  appearance.  It  began  to  look  as  if  the  man  would 
never  arrive.  But  he  came  at  last,  accompanied,  as  he  always 
was  on  such  trips,  by  his  servant,  whom  he  dismissed  at  the  door 
with  orders  to  return  at  a  later  hour.  After  the  Swedish  captain's 
arrival  the  conversation  was  limited  almost  wholly  to  the  schemes 
which  De  Bjelkja  was  trying  tO  interest  people  in. 

It  was  only  too  evident   that   people  were  interested,  and   the 
(  only  question  was  whether  the  scoundrel   could   be  exposed   in 
time  to  prevent  people  from  parting  with  their  money. 

Stokes  took  part  in  the  talk  in  a  general  way,  but  he  said 
nothing  definite  about  the  various  pla  '  and  evaded  questions  as 
well  as  he  could  when  they  were  asked  of  him  directly. 

He  observed  presently  that  De  Bjelkja  was  anxious  to  have  a 
private  talk  with  him,  and  Stokes  soon  found  a  way  to  give  him 
an  opportunity  for  thia.  It  was  while  refreshments  were  being 
served. 

The  young  fellow  stood  near  a  cabinet  filled  with  minerals  and 
various  curiosities.  De  Bjelkja  strolled  up  and  Stokes  Called  his 
attention  to  the  articles.  The  others  in  the  room  were  at  that 
moment  engaged  elsewhere,  and  the  Swede  said : 

"Those  are  very  interesting,  Mr.  Stokes,  but  if  you  would  call 
at  my  looms,  "  should  like  to  show  you  some  samples  of  ore  from 
a  mine  that  I  have  not  spoken  of  to  these  people,  «nd  in  which 
I  might  interest  you." 

Stokes  reflected  rapidly. 

"Would  it  be  well  to  pretend  to  enter  into  this  man's  plans  or 
would  it  be  better  to  play  an  independent  game  ? 

"He's  trying  to  spring  a  trap  on  me,"  the  detective  thought, 
"and  though  I  might  outwit  him  in  it,  I  reckon  it's  better  judg- 
ment to  hold  off." 

Aloud  he  said : 
ii    "I'm  much  obliged  for  the  opj>ortunity,  captain,  but  the  fact 
■Jb  that  so  many  mining  properties  have  been   j>flferecii   to  me  for 
investment  since  I  have  been  in  Circle  City  that  ^   ^ave  made  it 
an  iron  rule  not  to  touch  any  of  them." 

"Ah!  well,"  responded  the  captain,  "I  su{^S(>  that's  wise, 
and  I  certainly  will  not  press  you  in  the  matter. 

"There's  another  thing,  however,  in  which  I  Would  like  very 
much  to  interest  you. "  '- 

"What  ia  it?"  ^"  ^h' b>^!^   ^^r?'-?  •'■»f' 

"  Ys^u  have  shown  remarkable  ability  of  a  certain  sort  here, 
Und  I  think  you  could  be  of  great  assistance  to   me  by  advising 


/ 


15* 


A  PiTFAIvIv. 


L 


me  in  my  negotiations  for  the  sale  of  various  pioperties   that   I 
have  picked  up." 

"Ah!"  said  Stokes  to  himself.  "He  wants  to  work  along  the 
same  lines  as  Bellows  did. " 

"That  might  be  possible,"  he  remarked  aloud. 
"I  could  make  it  worth  your  while,"  continued  the  captain  in 
a  low  voice.     "There's  nothing  like  a  gold  mine  to   make   men 
greedy,  and  with   good   judgment  we   could  bring  some   heavy 
prices  for  the  property  I  control." 

"I  don't  doubt  it,"  Stokes  responded,  "if  we  play  a  waiting 
game  and  not  let  them  go  too  soon." 

The  detective's  purpose  in  saying  this  was,  of  course,  to 
induce  the  Swede,  if  possible,  not  close  any  bargains  immedi- 
ately, for  the  longer  that  could  be  prevented  the  more  hope  there 
was  of  so'iiijhow  exposing  his  rascality. 

'  "Very  wise,  indeed!"  said  the  captain.  "  You  may  be  sure  I 
shall  not  hurry  too  much,  but  of  course  money  is  money,  and  a 
man  in  my  position  can't  do  everything  that  he  would  like  to  on 
his  salary. 

"I  might  have  been  pushed  for  it  if  it  hadn't  been  that  one  of 
the  mines  I  control  already  yields  a  handsome  income  and  a  reg- 
ular one. ' ' 

"Indeed!" 

"Yes.  I  should  like  to  tell  you  about  it,  but  of  course  this  is 
not  the  place. ' ' 

Stokes  admitted  that  it  was  not. 

"Come  and  see  me  at  the  hotel  to-morrow  morning, "  suggested 
the  captain,  and  just  then  others  came  up  and  interrupted  them. 

Shortly  after  the  party  had  left  the  dining-room  and  the  master 
of  the  house  had  cautioned  the  servants  not  to  leave  the  room 
empty  for  even  a  second  theie  was  a  ring  at  the  bell,  and  a  serv- 
ant who  opened  the  door  found  an  Esquimau  standing  there,  who 
announced  in  very  poor  English  that  Mr.  Bellows  wanted  to  see 
Mr.  Stokes  at  once. 

Stokes  went  to  the  door. 

"Where  is  Mr.  Bellows?"  he  asked. 

"Hotel,"  replied  the  Esquimau,  backing  away. 

"Didn't  he  send  a  note  to  me?" 

"Hotel — right  away — quick,"  was  the  Esquimau's  only 
response,  and  immediate!;  he  turned  his  back  and  ran  down 
toward  the  road. 

"You  haven't  got  to  leave  us,  I  hope,  Mr.  Stokes?"  said  the 
master  of  the  house,  coming  up  at  that  moment. 

"No,"  Stokes  answered,  thoughtfully.  "I  don't  think  it  is 
necessary  to  go. " 

"Were  you  sent  for?' »  *  -^ 


A  PITFALIy. 


133 


"So  the  Esquimau  chap  said." 

"He  didn't  give  yot!  a  clear  idea  of  what  was  wanted,  did 
he?" 

"No  idea  at  all." 

"Shan't  I  send  a  servant,  then,  to  learn  the  particulars?" 

"It  might  be  as  well, "  Stokes  answered,  "if  you  can  spare 
one. ' ' 

"Oh,  certainly!" 

Stokes  did  not  believe  that  Bellows  had  sent  for  him.  The 
first  thing  that  flashed  across  his  mind  was  that  this  was  a  plan 
to  get  him  away  from  the  house  in  order  that  anotbet  robbery 
might  be  committed  without  so  much  danger  of  detection  as  if 
he  were  there. 

"I'm  not  going  to  leave,"  be  .said  to  himself.  "I'm  going  to 
stay  where  I  can  keep  my  eyes  on  De  B jelkja. ' ' 

A  moment  later  a  servant  wearing  a  heavy  overcoat  and  fur  hat 
stepped  up  and  asked  for  instructions. 

Stokes  told  him  to  go  to  Mr.  Bellows'  hotel  and  ask  if  any- 
thing was  wanted  that  could  not  be  postponed  until  the  next 
morning. 

De  Bjelkja  stood  by  while  this  command  was  given.  Stokes 
eyed  him  narrowly  and  thought  he  saw  the  captain  was  troubled. 
De  Bjelkja  said  nothing,  however,  and  the  servant  went  out 
immediately. 

He  had  been  gone  but  a  few  seconds,  when  everybody  in  the 
house  was  startled  by  a  piercing  cry  outside.  There  was  a  general 
rush  for  the  door,  and  most  of  the  men  went  out.  Stokes,  how- 
ever, remained  behind,  with  his  eyes  on  De  Bjelkja  and  the  din- 
ing-room. 

"Nothing  like  Circle  City  for  excitement,"  remarked  the. 
Swede,  quievly. 

Stokes  mac  «  no  response.  The  master  of  the  house  came  rush- 
ing back,  saying : 

"My  servant  fell,  somehow,  and  has  injured  himself  badly! 
I'm  afraid  he  is  killed." 

The  district  attorney  came  in  just  then  and  Stokes  whispered 
to  him : 

"Go  into  the  dining-room  and  stay  there  for  two  or  three  min- 
utes. ' ' 

The  official  nodded  to  show  that  he  knew  that  he  was  to  keep 
watch  of  the  gold  and  silver  plate,  and  Stokes  hurried  out. 

He  found  the  servant  who  had  been  sent  to  find  Bellows  lying 
in  the  driveway  unconscious  and  bleeding  from  a  wound  upon 
the  h^d.     A  sharp  stone  lay  close  to  his  face. 

.  "That  stone  was  put  there  for  a  purpose, "  said  Stokes  to  biw- 
9elff    "Now,  then,  how  did  the  man  fall?" 


^ 


154 


A  PITFALI/. 


He  went  a  little  to  one  side  of  the  drive ?tray,  where  a  fir  tree 
grew.  He  felt  of  the  base  of  this  tree  with  his  hand  and  pres- 
ently found  that  a  cord  was  tied  around  it.  With  his  hand  upon 
this  cord  he  followed  it  where  it  led  him,  across  the  driveway  to 
a  clump  of  bushes  fifty  or  sixty  feet  away. 

' '  Well  planned, ' '  he  said  to  himself.  ' '  I  never  saw  better  calcu- 
lation in  my  life. 

"The  fellow  stood  with  his  hand  on  this  end  of  the  cord,  and 
when  he  saw  the  man  coming  down  the  driveway  he  pulled  it 
hard.  The  man  tripped,  of  course,  and  brought  his  head  down 
on  that  stone. 

''There  can't  be  any  donbt  bat  that  thia  trap  was  meant  for 
me.'* 


-/■:;,?,.:■:■';■/  .HiSHi  i^ffi  iii.' 


-.  vV 


ii\s    ,' ill'",  i  ,.  ■;  ,:<'f,i'. 


i'jfjjtai^CjiiU  V-fV. 


■>i~iiiqi>u 


;i-;a  i'f^ 


DE  BJEIKJA'S  GOLD  MINE. 


155 


f'f  b'iu\ 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DE  BJBI,KJA'S  GOLD  MIN8. 


Oil 

■■T 


nadf' 


.1 


The  injured  servant  was  carried  immediately  into  the  honse. 

Stokes,  who  had  received  a  thorough  training  in  the  work 
required  for  emergencies  of  this  nature,  took  charge  of  the  poor 
fellow,  and  under  his  skilful  treatment  the  servant  was,  after  a 
time,  brought  to  consciousness. 

As  soon  as  he  could  talk  Stokes  asked  him : 

"Do  you  remember  what  happened?" 

"I  stumbled  on  something  and  fell,"  was  the  faint  response. 

"Don't  you  remember  anything  else?" 

"I  think  I  do." 

"Try  to  remember  exactly  what  it  was." 

"Somebody,  I  don't  know  who,  ran  up  and  flashed  a  light  in  my 
face.  I  couldn't  see  him  clearly,  for  the  light  blinded  me." 

"Did  he  do  anything  or  say  anything?" 

"Yes." 

"What  was  it?" 

"He  said,  'Curse  the  luck;  it's  the  wrong  man.'  " 

"Didn't  he  say  anything  else?" 

"The  light  disappeared,  and  I  think  he  said  something  about 
my  not  being  worth  finishing. 

"Then  I  felt  another  blow.     I  think  he  kicked  me.     Anyhow,' 
the  next  I  remember  is  being  hare. ' ' 

Stokes  was  in  a  terrible  rage.  It  angered  him  intensely  to 
think  that  this  villainous  plot  should  be  put  up  for  him  and  that 
this  innocent  servant  should  suffer  for  it. 

"The  man  may  die,"  he  reflected,  bitterly.  "And  as  in  the 
case  of  the  robbery,  the  villain  seems  to  have  got  away  without 
leaving  a  clue. 

"De  Bjelkja  was  here  all  the  time,  but  where  was  Ole?" 

Just  then  Ole  himself  appeared,  his  face  all  smiles,  as  usual, 
and  his  voice  as  steady  as  if  nothing  ever  happened  to  give  him 
trouble. 

Ole  had  come  to  accompany  his  master  back  to  the  notel. 
After  the  usual  farewells  the  two  departed.  The  captain 
reminded  Stokes  as  he  said  good-night  that  they  were  to  meet 
for  a  business  talk  in   the  morning.     Meantime  a  surgeon  had 


156 


DQ  BJGLKJA'S  OOLD  MINE. 


arrived  from  the  barracks  and   the  wounded  servant  was  now 
under  his  care. 

Shortly  after  De  Bjelkja  and  Ole  had  left  the  house  Stokes 
hurriedly  bade  his  host  good-night  and  went  away  also. 

It  was  evident  that  the  district  attorney  wanted  to  ask  ques- 
tions of  him,  but  Stokes  shook  his  head  and  went  out  alone. 

"I'm  afraid  I've  got  some  lessons  to  learn  in  the  detective 
business,"  he  reflected.  "I  ought  not  to  let  that  fellow  Ole  out 
of  my  sight  for  a  minute,  and  yet  how  could  I  do  anything  differ- 
ent from  what  I  have  done?" 

Having  left  the  house  wuere  he  had  passed  the  evening,  he 
ran  lightly  over  the  snow  until  he  could  see,  a  short  distance 
ahead  of  him,  the  two  tall  forms  of  the  Swedish  captain  and  his 
servant. 

"Exactly  the  same  size,"  he  said  to  himself,  "and  back  to 
back  they  look  exactly  alike. 

"Now,,  then,  one  of  them  has  got  to  give  this  thing  away,  and 
there'll  be  no  sleep  for  Harvey  Stokes  until  that's  done." 

The  Swedes  went  directly  to  the  captain's  hotel  and  entered. 
Stokes  did  not  venture  to  get  near  enough  to  them  to  run  any  risk 
of  disclosing  his  presence. 

After  they  had  disappeared  he  took  a  run  around  the  hotel  and 
found  that  there  were  but  two  ways  to  get  in  or  out.  -By  standing 
a  little  distance  across  the  street  he  could  see  both  doors. 

He  planted  himself  on  this  spot,  determined  to  wait  there 
twenty-four  hours,  if  necessary,  for  the  reappearance  of  one  of 
them.  It  would  not  have  mattered  to  him  which  came  out  first, 
although  he  preferred  that  it  should  be  Ole. 

"Ole,"  he  reasoned,  "is  the  tool,  and  De  Bjelkja  is  the  hand 
that  moves  it.  " 

"I'll  find  first,  if  possible,  what  the  tool  does,  and  then  we'll 
see  about  the  master  hand." 

It  was  midnight  when  Stokes  first  took  up  his  position  near  the 
hotel.  Hour  after  hour  passed  slowly,  and  nobody  left  the 
building. 

It  was  bitterly  cold,  and  again  and  again  he  was  tempted  to 
run  up  and  down  a  few  paces  to  keep  his  blood  circulating.  He 
resisted  the  temptation  for  fear  that  at  any  instant  one  of  his  men 
might  show  himself.  It  was  his  worst  experience  in  that  hardest 
work  of  the  detective — watching  and  waiting. 

At  last,  just  about  sunrise,  when  Stokes  felt  so  stiff  with  the 
cold  that  he  doubted  if  he  could  stir,  the  back  door  of  the  hotel 
opened  and  Ole  stepped  forth. 

The  Swede  looked  around  in  every  direction,  not  cautiously, 
but  with  a  confident  air,  as  if  to  make  it  appear  that  he  was 
doing  »  very  ordinary  thing. 


DE  BJEIvKJA'S  GOLD  MINE 


157 


Stokes  was  at  that  moment  behind  a  tree. 

Satisfied  that  nobody  was  stirring  in  that  neighborhood,  Ole 
came  out  to  the  road  and  started  southward  at  a  rapid  gait. 

Stokes  followed  him,  keeping  a  long  distance  in  tiit  rear,  and 
constantly  dodging  behind  trees  and  other  objects,  lest  he  should 
be  seen  if  Ole  should  turn  his  head. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  Swede  seemed  to  think  it  worth 
while  to  exercise  any  caution.  At  last,  however,  he  came  to  the 
summit  of  a  long  slope.  Then  he  turned  and  looked  backward. 
Stokes  dropped  flat  upon  the  snow  behind  a  small  bowlder. 

For  sev  j  al  seconds  the  Swede  stood  looking  down  the  road, 
and  once  more,  satisfied  that  nobody  but  himself  was  abroad  at 
that  hour,  he  started  on,  and  almost  immediately  disappeared 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill. 

Stokes  was  after  him  like  a  sho*,  but  his  heart  beat  high  for 
fear  tiie  Swede  would  come  to  some  hiding  place  before  the  fol- 
lower could  reach  the  summit  of  the  slope.  This  did  not  prove  to 
be  the  case. 

When  he  reached  the  top  of  the  slope  Stokes  saw  Ole  far 
advanced  i    .nn'ig  with  long,  easy  strides. 

He  hi  ^  1*^^'  the  road  and  was  making  for  the  forest,  about  two 
miles  away. 

"If  he  gets  into  that  wood,"  thought  Stokes,  "I  am  certain  to 
lose  him  among  the  trees.  If  I  follow  him  across  the  fields  he 
may  turn  at  any  moment  and  see  me,  for  there  is  nothing  in  all 
this  stretch  here  between  me  and  the  forest  behind  which  I  can 
hide." 

A  moment's  thought  convinced  him  that  the  safest  plan  would 
be  to  let  the  Swede  go  on  and  enter  the  forest,  and  then  to  cross 
the  fields  to  that  point  and  trace  with  patience  and  shrewdness 
to  find  where  the  man  had  gone. 

Accordingly  Stokes  watched  him  until  he  became  a  mere  speck 
moving  across  the  surface  of  the  snow. 

When  he  had  finally  disappeared  among  the  distant  trees, 
Stokes  fixed  the  spot  where  he  went  in  by  noting  that  it  was  just 
to  the  east  of  a  deep  ravine. 

Then  he  took  a  roundabout  course,  and  running  as  fast  as  he 
was  able,  came  at  last  to  the  same  place.  The  forest  was  compar- 
atively open,  and  Stokes  could  see  some  distance  within  it. 

Underneath  the  trees,  as  outside,  the  snow  crust  was  so  hard 
and  smooth  that  the  feet  made  no  impression  upon  it. 

"I  ought  to  have  a  dog  to  put  on  the  scent,"  he  reflected,  but 
as  he  had  not  a  dog  he  had  to  do  as  well  as  he  could  without  one, 
so  he  began  the  same  system  of  search  which  he  had  practiced 
around  Judge  Taylor's  house. 

He  zigzagged  back  and  forth,  getting  ever  deeper  into  the  for- 


^ 


158 


DE  BJEI^KJA'S  GOLD  MINE. 
■a  for  some  sign  that  would  show  him  that  Ole 


est,  looking  alwf 
had  been  there. 

For  hours  and  hours  he  pursued  these  tactics,  and  tnore  than 
once  he  felt  that  it  would  be  just  as  well  to  turn  back  and  go  to 
the  city,  for  it  seemed  as  if  Ole  had  completely  defied  discovery. 

Stokes,  however,  was  not  the  kind  to  give  up.  He  had  the 
determination  of  a  bull  dog,  and  once  his  mind  was  made  up  to 
a  certain  action  he  held  to  it  desperately.  At  last  he  halted 
abruptly  in  his  wanderings.  He  thought  he  defactetl  a  faint 
odor  of  smoke  in  the  air.     In  a  moment  he  was  sure  of  it. 

"This  is  a  case  of  follow  my  nose, "  he  sa^d  to  himself,  "but 
the  trouble  is  I  can't  make  out  just  in  which  direction  that  smell 
comes  from." 

The  air  under  the  trees  seemed  to  be  deathly  still.  He  held  a 
handkerchief  at  arm's  length  and  he  could  not  discover  that  it 
fluttered  in  the  least. 

Suddenly  an  idea  occurred  to  him.  He  li;?;iited  a  match  and 
noticed  the  tiny  column  of  smoke  that  arose  from  it.  The  smoke 
was  so  much  lighter  than  his  handkerchief  that  i":  was  affected 
more  by  what  little  breeze  was  stirrrng  than  the  fabric. 

Presently  Stokes  threw  down  the  burned  match  with  a  feeling 
of  triumph.  He  had  observed  that  the  smoke  floated  slowly 
toward  the  north. 

"What  wind  there  is, "  he  said  to  himself,  "comes  from  the 
south,  a.Td  therefore  the  fire  that  I  smell  must  be  in  that  direc- 
tion." 

He  procef^ded  cautiously,  and  after  dodging  among  the  trees 
for  several  hundred  yards,  and  all  the  time  noticing  that  the 
smell  of  smoke  was  more  distinct,  he  came  at  last  in  sight  of  a 
hut 

That  somebody  was  in  It  seemed  to  be  proven  by  the  fact  of 
the  fire. 

Fearing  that  his  feet  crunching  upon  the  snow  crust  would 
cause  the  occupant  to  hear  him,  Stokes  got  upon  his  hands  anr' 
knees  and  very  slowly  made  his  way  up  to  the  door  of  the  hut. 
It  was  partly  open,  for,  cold  as  it  was  outside,  the  great  rire  that 
was  burning  inside  made  the  temperature  positively  yrKnn. 

Ole  was  there  and  he  had  the  door  open  for  comfort. 

A  large  copper  pot  was  suspended  over  the  flames — it  was  red 
hot.  Ole  was  bending  over  it  in  the  act  of  raising  the  cover  with 
a  poker  when  Stokes  looked  in.  Having  raised  the  cover,  Ole 
reached  lo  a  box  from  it,  and  dropped  it  into  the  pot. 
•)^«Aht"  said  Stokes  to  himself.  "This  is  De  Bjelkja's  gold 
mine. 

"Between  him  ana  Ole  the  valuable  plate  owned  by  Circle  City 
people  is  stolen,  and  then  Ole  takes  it  away  off  here,  miles  in  the 


DE  BJELKJA'S  GOLD  MINE. 


H9 


gold 


wilderness,  and  melts  it  down  ^nto  a  fom^  in  which  it  could 
never  be  recognized  and  cac  easily  be  passed  off  as  theprodactof 
amine." 

What  he  should  do  about  it,  was,  of  course,  the  question  tliat 
presented  itself  to  him.  11  was  one  thing  to  discover  the  secret  of 
the  Swedes  and  another  to  make  the  discovery  useful  to  tlie  law. 

He  diew  back  from  the  door  and  debated  whether  he  should 
spring  upon  Ole  and  attempt  to  capture  him,  or  crawl  away, 
return  to  Circle  City,  and  bring  the  civil  police  to  the  spot. 

It  does  not  matter  what  Stokes  decision  would  have  been,  for 
Ole  brought  the  silert  argument  to  a  sudden  end  by  coming  to 
the  doorway  for  a  breath  of  air. 

Tbete  he  saw  Stokes  kneeling  upon  the  snow.  There  was  no 
smile  upon  the  Swede's  ."ace  this  time.  Instead,  there  was  an 
expression  of  savage  anger,  and  he  leaped  like  a  lion  upon  the 
crouching  detective. 

Stokrs  started  to  his  feet  at  once,  but  only  in  time  to  put  up 
his  hands  and  partially  ward  off  the  terrific  blows  that  the  giaat 
Swede  aimed  at  him. 

Then  there  followed  a  struggle  such  as  few  men  are  calle^l  up<m 
to  endure. 

Physically  Ole  was  capable  of  overcoming  three  such  men  as 
Stokes,  muscularly  built  though  he  was. 

The  first  onslaught  sent  Stokes  rolling  backward.  Ole  lunged 
after  him,  determined  to  follow  up  his  advantage  and  end  the 
affair  at  once. 

"You  escape  last  night!"  cried  the  Swede,  '-when  I  t'ink 
some  ot'er  man  you  in  t'e  dark.  You  no  have  such  luck  t'is 
time." 

•  •  We'll  see  about  that, ' '  retorted  Stokes. 

It  might  have  been  possible  for  the  detective  to  escape  by  rm- 
ning  away,  but  that  was  not  Stokes'  method. 

He  saw  that  he  had  one  advantage  over  his  antagonist,  and 
tLat  lay  in  the  very  fact  that  he  was  so  much  smaller.  Again 
Stokes  was  a  pest  adept  in  the  manly  art. 

The  Swede,  twice  as  heavy,  could  not  move  as  quickly  as 
the  detective. 

It  might  be  possible,  therefore,  by  expert  dodging  to  tire  the 
big  fellow  out.  One  clean  blow,  however,  of  Ole's  fist  would  have 
knocked  him  senseless,  and  that  must  be  avoided  at  all  hazards. 
Therefoie,  Stokes  quickly  determined  not  to  try  any  dodging; 
instead,  as  Ole  lunged  after  him  he  sprung  directly  at  the  big  fel- 
low, knocked  one  arm  aside  by  a  skilful  parry,  and  then  gripped 
the  Swede  around  the  waist 

Stokes  was  not  so  foolish  as  to  make  a  serious  effort  to  throw 


i6o 


DE  BJELKJA'S  GOLD  MINE. 


tJ:e  big  fellow.  His  action  was  simply  a  trick  to  deceive  Ole 
into  thinking  that  he  would  try  to  overcome  him  in  that  way. 

Surprised,  and  amused,  too,  for  he  laughed  loudly  at  the 
thought  of  being  thrown,  Ole  tried  to  shake  Stokes  off. 

The  detective  hung  on  like  grim  death ;  there  was  no  shaking 
loose  his  hold. 

Ole  began  to  give  him  short  arm  blows  upon  his  head  and 
back,  the  only  parts  of  Stokes  that  he  could  reach.  This  did  not 
disturb  the  detective  in  the  least,  because  at  such  short  range  Ole 
could  not  hit  hard  enough  to  do  any  damage. 

The  Swede  realized  this  after  about  a  minute  of  hard  fighting, 
during  which  h  j  began  to  breathe  heavily. 

Stokes'  hope  was  to  get  him  so  winded  that  he  would  strike 
wildly,  in  which  case  he  might  venture  to  break  away  and  resort 
to  dodging,  in  the  hope  of  landing  a  blow  some  time  that  would 
disable  his  antagonist  or  give  him  time  draw  a  revolver. 

Ole,  perceiving  that  it  was  useless  to  try  to  hammer  Stokes 
into  unconsciousness  at  short  range,  again  tried  to  throw  him  off. 

Catching  the  detective  by  both  shoulders,  he  exerted  all  his 
gigantic  strength  and  lifted  him  off  his  feet. 

This  was  Stokes'  opportunity.  Without  making  any  effort  to 
break  away  from  '  the  Swede,  Stokes  threw  one  leg  across  Ole's 
and  caught  the  latter  under  the  knee  with  his  heel.  Every  boy 
knows,  a  blow  like  this  causes  one  to  stagger.  It  is  much  more 
troublesome  than  being  tripped  at  the  heels. 

Just  at  this  instant  Ole  was  trying  to  throw  Stokes  off,  and  the 
exertion  of  that  effort  made  the  blow  under  the  knee  still  more 
effective  in  upsetting  his  balance. 

The  Swede  let  go  Stokes  and  sprawled  full  length  in  front  of 
the  hut,  while  Stokes,  slipping  from  the  big  fellow's  arms,  slid 
several  feet  across  the  hard  snow  before  he  could  stop  himself 
and  get  up. 

Ole  having  gone  down  where  he  stood  was  up  again  in  an 
instant,  but  he  had  not  more  than  half  caught  his  breath,  and  lie 
was  evidently  greatly  startled  at  finding  his  adversary  so  difficult 
to  manage.  He  hesitated  just  an  instant,  as  if  wondering  what 
course  he  had  better  pursue.     That  instant  settled  the  matter. 

Stokes  was  reaching  for  his  revolver  as  he  slid  across  the  snow, 
and  while  he  was  in  the  act  of  rising  he  fired  it. 

In  the  excitement  of  the  moment  his  quick  aim  was  not  quite 
as  true  as  usual,  and  the  bullet  missed  its  mark,  but  came  so 
near  that  Ole  could  feel  the  rush  of  air  as  it  whizzed  past  his  face. 

The  pistol  made  Stokes  more  than  a  match  for  him.  The  game 
was  up.  Nobody  could  see  that  more  clearly  than  the  Swede,  and 
to  sav^  himself  b^  turned  about  and  darted  southward, 


DE  BJELKJA'S  GOLD  MINE.  i6i 

Stokes  sent  another  shot  after  him.  but  the  big  fellow  easily 
escaped  it  owing  to  the  density  of  the  forest  ^ 

Stokes  pursued  for  a  short  distance.  He  then  came  to  the  edire 
of  a  steep  ravine  just  in  time  to  see  Ole  disappearing  behind  a 
rock  at  the  v^.ttom.  The  Swede  had  thro^S  himself  upon  his 
back  upon  tne  snow  crust  and  had  slid  down  the  steep  slope 
Strange  to  say,  he  reached  the  bottom  uninjured  and  dashed 
away  further  into  the  forest. 

"I  won't  risk  my  neck,"  thought  Stokes,  "following  him 
down  there.  The  game  is  mine  now,  anyhow,  and  the  neS 
luuig  IS  to  get  back  to  Circle  City  and  show  up  the  captain  •' 


ip  Jou  •  _ 


■  U  ;>U^ 


■HP 


.&I>dV^  t 


i6a 


STOKES  WINS  THE  POT. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

STOKBS  WINS  THE  POT, 

Stokes  made  a  thorough  examination  of  the  hut.  He  found 
two  or  three  articles  of  gold  and  silver  that  had  not  been  thrown 
into  the  melting  pot.  These  he  put  into  his  pockets,  but  other- 
wise he  left  the  place  undisturbed. 

He  found  his  way  back  to  Circle  City  in  much  quicker  timo 
than  it  had  taken  him  to  get  to  the  hut,  for  new  he  took  a 
straight  course.  WitK  all  ht'5  speed,  however,  it  was  evening 
when  he  arrived. 

He  w.'iS  certain,  of  course,  that  Ole  had  not  returned  ahead  of 
him,  and  that,  therefore,  nothing  could  have  hajipened  to  give  De 
Bjelkja  a  warning  of  his  approaching  danger. 

Stokes  consulted  his  invitations  to  find  out  where  De  Bjelkja 
would  be  likely  to  pass  the  evening.  It  proved  that  there  wes  to 
be  a  small  party  of  men  at  the  district  attorney's  house;  and 
Stokes  accordingly  went  there  al.  the  time  appointed. 

De  Bjelkja  was  already  on  hand.  So  were  a  few  other  gentle- 
men, and  they  were  discussing  tiie  Swede's  everlasting  mines  at 
the  time  of  the  detective's  arrival. 

**Ah !"  cried  the  Swede  when  he  saw  Stokes.  "I  h^ve  a  score 
to  settle  with  you, ' ' 

**I  reckon  you  have,"  Stokes  said  to  himself,  but  he  asked 
aloud : 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"You  had  an  appointment  to  see  me  this  morning." 

"That's  a  fact, ' '  cried  Stokes. 

It  was  perfectly  true  that  he  had  forgotten  r'l  about  hisengagr- 
ment  to  meet  the  Swede, 

"Your  memory  is  short,"  the  captain  said  with  a  laugh, 

"I  certainly  owe  you  an  apology, "  responded  Stokes,  "And 
when  we  do  have  our  talk  I'll  explain  why  it  was  your  matter 
slipped  my  mind, " 

"Another  appointment  for  to-morrow,  then^"  said  De  Bjelkja, 
"We'll  have  no  business  to-night.  This  is  to  be  an  evening  fur 
.sport — is  it  not,  gentleraeu?" 

"Yes,"  the  district  attorney  replied.  "We'regoingtotake  our 
revenge  from  the  captain." 


STOKES  WINS  THE  POT. 


163 


"And 
matter 

ajelkja. 
Ing   for 


"How's  that?"  asked  Stokes. 

"Why,"  was  the  response,  "the  captain  has  had  the  most 
extraordinary  luck  at  cards  since  he  has  been  in  Circle  City,  and 
all  of  us  have  dropped  more  or  less  to  him. 

"And  we  have  had  no  opportunity  to  get  even;  now  we're 
going  to  try  to  do  so. " 

"Really,  gentlemen,"  said  De  E}..  ;ja,  heartily,  "I  wish  you 
good  luck. 

"The  cards  have  been  so  favorable  to  me  that  am  honestly 
ashamed  of  my  success.  I  can  almost  hope  that  I  shall  lose 
to-night. ' ' 

"Tut!  tut!"  said  one  of  the  others.  " Poker  is  poker,  and  no 
man  plays  the  game  who  doesn't  play  it  for  all  it's  worth." 

"That's  right,"  admitted  the  Swede. 

"Do  you  play?"  asked  the  district  attorney,  turning  to  Stokes. 

"Oh,  I  know  the  rules  of  the  game,"  he  answered,  modestly. 

"I  don't  know  quitu  whether  to  invite  you  to  play  or  not, " 
the  district  attorney  went  on. 

"Well,  I  can't  stand  that,"  retorted  Stokes.  "Fetch  on  your 
cards  and  let  me  show  you  how  the  game  is  played  in  Mon- 
tana. ' ' 

There  was  a  general  laugh  at  this,  at  d  without  more  delay  the 
men  arranged  themselves  at  a  table. 

The  cards  were  undisturbed  until  each  person  had  bought  as 
many  chips  as  he  desiied,  the  district  attorney  being  the  banker. 
"Well,"  said  one  of  the  players,  "let's  cut  for  deal." 
De  Bjelkja  reached  out  his  hand  and  raised  the  pack. 
"Shall  I  tear  off  the  wrapper?"  he  asked. 
"Yes,  go  ahead,"  replied  the  district  attorney. 

De  Bjelkja  broke  the  seal,  tore  away  the  wrapping  paper  and 
tossed  it  to  the  floor; ;  then  he  cut  the  cards,  and  the  others  did 
likewise.    Stokes  was  watching  De  Bjelkja's  movements  intently. 

" If  that  wasn't  a  sleight-of-hand  trick,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"then  I'm  mistaken. 

"I'd  like  to  bet  a  hundr^  to  one  that  the  pack  of  cards  that 
was  on  the  table  a  minute  ago  is  now  somewhere  in  De  Bjelkja's 
clothing.  His  hand  is  big,  and  he  could  easily  palm  a  whole 
pack.     Well,  we'll  see." 

Stokes  opened  the  deal,  and  the  hand  was  played  without  any 
incident ;  so  for  several  bnnda  the  game  progressed  with  light 
betting  and  no  hands  of  consequence. 

"Rather  dull  game,"  remarked  the  Swede  at  last.  "What  do 
you  say  to  putting  in  a  buck  and  playinKf  a  jack  pot  every  time 
it's  taken?" 

Just  then  the  district  attorney,  who  had  been  sharpening  a  lead 


x64 


STOKES  WINS  THE  POT. 


pencil  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  some  kind  of  account  of  Jbis 
chips,  laid  his  penknife  upon  the  table  and  remarked : 

"Let  that  be  the  buck." 

The  others  nodded  and  the  game  went  on.  At  the  first  deal 
nobody  had  jacks,  and  the  cards  were  passed  to  the  next  dealer; 
the  same  result  followed,  and  then  it  was  De  Bjelkja's  turn  to 
deal. 

When  he  took  up  his  cards  Stokes  found  he  had  a  pair  of 
kings.     He  opened  the  pot  and  all  the  others  came  in. 

Stokes  drew  three  cards  and'  observed  that  De  Bjelkja  drew 
four;  the  Swede  laughed  as  he  did  so,  saying  that  he  was  going  to 
test  his  luck. 

"That  kind  of  a  draw  sometimes  brings  four  of  a  kind," 
remarked  the  district  attorney. 

The  players  looked  at  their  cards,  and  Stokes,  quietly  pushing 
a  pile  of  chips  into  the  middle  of  the  table,,  remarked : 

"My  hand  is  worth  a  hundred  dollars. " 

"Must  be  pretty  strong,"  said  one  of  the  players,  and  he  laid 
his  hand  in  the  pack. 

The  district  attorney,  whose  turn  it  was  next,  raised  the  detec- 
ttve'8  bet  one  hundred  dollars,  and  then  it  war.  De  Bjelkja's  turn. 
With  a  quiet  smile,  as  if  he  were  amused  at  his  luck,  the  captain 
counted  out  chips  to  the  value  of  two  hundred  dollars  and 
remarked : 

"I'll  see  the  two  hundred  and  make  it  one  hundred  better." 

Stokes  looked  again  at  his  cards.  He  was  pretending  to 
debate  with  himself  whether  he  should  bet  again. 

In  his  draw  he  had  received  two  other  kings,  thus  giving  him 
four  of  a  kind. 

"I  suppose,"  he  reflected,  "that  the  district  attorney  is  got 
fou'S.  I'd  like  to  bet  even  that  Bjelkja  has  got  four  aces;  if 
he  has  and  knows  I've  got  kings,  he'll  smell  a  mouse  if  I  don't 
bet  them  up;  whatever  happens  I've  got  to  make  him  show  his 
cards. ' ' 

Accordingly  Stokes  again  raised  the  bet. 

The  district  attorney  saw  the  raise  and  De  Bjelkja  called  for 
still  higher  stakes. 

The  betting  went  on  in  this  way  for  two  or  three  rounds  until 
the  detective's  chips  were  exhausted.  Instead  of  buying  new 
chips  he  counted  out  several  hundred  dollars  in  money  and  put 
the  required  amount  upon  the  table. 

At  last,  thinking  that  the  game  had  been  played  far  enotigh, 
Stokes  called,  the  district  attorney  did  likewise,  and  cards  were 
shown. 

Stokes  laid  his  four  kings  face  up  on  the  table  and  looked  at 
the  Swede.     From  the  corner  of  his  eye  the  detective  saw  the  dis- 


til's 


8T0KRS  WINS  THE  POT. 


165 


id   for 

until 
new 
id  put 


tad   at 
le  dis 


trict  attorney  displaying  four  sixes.  "Well,  gentlemen,"  said 
the  Swede,  with  a  light  laugh,  "I'm  sorry,  honestly  I  am,  but 
poker  is  poker,  and  luck  is  with  me  thus  far. ' '  He  had  not 
yet  laid  down  his  cards,  but  just  after  this  he  did  so  and  dis- 
played four  aces. 

The  others  in  the  party  except  Stokes  uttered  exclamations  of 
astonishment. 

"That's  about  as  stiff  a  set  of  hands  as  I  ever  saw,"  said  one 
of  them. 

"What's  that  gentleman  from  Montana  got  to  say  about  it?" 

"Just  this,"  answered  Stokes,  quickly. 

De  Bjelkja  was  reaching  forward  to  take  in  his  stakes. 

Stokes  leaned  over  the  table,  caught  up  the  penknife  that 
served  as  the  buck,  and  with  one  sweep  of  his  arm  ripped  the 
Swede's  closefitting  coat  open  from  collar  to  waist. 

There  was  then  revealed  a  sight  that  caused  the  players  more 
astonishment  than  the  extraordinary  combination  of  hands. 

Within  the  Swede's  garment  there  appeared  a  number  of  cards 
which  were  connected  with  an  ingenious  arrangement  of  wires 
that  enabled  him  to  pull  one  or  another  from  its  hiding  place 
down  through  his  sleeve  to  his  hand.  The  very  sight  of  this  con- 
trivance was  enough  to  arouse  the  players  to  a  great  rage.  They 
jumped  up  and  would  have  beaten  the  .startled  Swede  ualf  to 
death  if  Stokes  had  not  interfered. 

"Hold  on,  gentlemen!"  he  cried.  "This  rascal's  game  is  up, 
but  before  you  damage  him  any  I  want  to  see  how  he  did  it." 

De  Bjelkja;  recovering  a  little  from  his  consternation,  attempted 
resistance,  but  Stokes  stopped  this  quickly  enough  by  pressing 
the  muzzle  of  his  revolver  against  De  Bjelkja's  face. 

"Now  then,"  said  Stokes,  coolly,  "I  see  here  in  one  corner 
near  the  vest  pocket  is  the  unopened  pack  of  cards  with  which 
we  expected  to  play  this  game.  These  other  cards  are  not  por- 
tions of  the  pack  we  have  been  playing  with,  but  they  belong  to 
another  pack  of  exactly  the  same  pattern. 

"I  see  it  was  not  absolutely  necessary  for  this  fellow  to  stack 
the  cards  against  ua.  I  suppose  he  did  give  me  four  kings,  but 
to  beat  me  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  draw  down  enough  aces  from 
his  breast  to  complete  his  hand. 

"It's  all  plain — he  isn't  as  heavy  a  man  as  he  looks.  He  had 
to  wear  large  clothes  because  the  mechanism  for  working  these 
cards  takes  up  a  little  room. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  all  I  have  to  .say  is  at  present  that  if  any  of 
you  invest  in  this  fellow's  schemes  after  what  you  have  seen  you 
are  beyond  any  help  from  me. ' '  The  exposure  was  so  complete 
that  De  Bjelkja  had  not  the  face  to  attempt  any  defence. 


i66 


STOKES  WINS  Tllli  POT. 


Stokes  rapidly  narrated  what  had  taken  place  during  the  day 
and  concluded : 

*'It  is  perfectly  plain  that  these  two  fellows  feared  me  and 
wanted  to  get  me  out  of  the  way.  That  accounts  for  their  attempt 
at  murder  which  so  nearly  did  for  that  unlucky  servant  last 
night. 

"I  can  tell  you  now  how  they  managed  to  rob  Judge  Taylor's 
house,  and  probably  the  way  in  which  they  worked  the  game  at 
other  places. 

"The  captain  and  his  servant  are  of  the  same  build.  It  would 
not  be  a  difficult  matter  for  Ole  to  make  up  his  face  so  that  you 
could  not  distinguish  him  from  his  master.  That's  what  he  did 
on  the  night  of  Judge  Taylor's  reception. 

"At  a  certain  hour,  carefully  planned  in  advance  the  captain 
withdrew  from  sight  for  a  few  moments;  that  could  be  easily  done 
in  a  big  house  like  Taylor's, 

"During  that  time  .Ole  showed  himself,  and  everybody  sup- 
posed that  he  was  the  captain. 

"Nobody  would  suspect  if  the  captain  should  step  into  the 
dining-room.  By  care,  especially  as  he  was  not  under  suspicion, 
it  was  an  easy  thing  for  Ole  to  go  to  the  dining-room,  stuff  his 
pockets  with  what  he  could  lay  his  hands  on,  bolt  through  the 
window  and  hide  the  stuff  in  the  snow  until  the  excitement  was 
over.  It  is  all  so  clear  now  that  any  further  explanation  is  un- 
necessary. ' ' 

At  this  moment  a  servant  of  the  district  attorney's  entered  to 
say  that  there  was  a  gentleman  at  the  door  who  was  anxious  to 
see  him  and  Captain  De  Bjelkja. 

"Perhaps  he's  somebody  who  wants  to' invest  in  De  Bjelkja's 
mines, ' '  said  the  district  attorney,  sarcastically. 

A  moment  later  the  seivant  ushered  in  a  foreign-looking  man, 
who  said : 

"There's  the  rascal  who  stole  my  letters  of  introduction  and 
adopted  my  name ! 

"Gentlemen,  I'm  Captain  De  Bjelkja,  in  the  service  of  his 
majesty  the  King  of  Sweden,  and  that  man  is  an  impostor." 

The  newcomer  easily  proved  his  identity,  so  that  the  exposure 
of  the  Swedish  swindler  was  complete. 

"Again  Circle  City  owes  you  a  great  debt  of  gratitude,  Mr. 
Stokes,"  said  the  district  attorney,  warmly. 

"Not  yet, "  was  the  detective's  response.  » 

"No?     Why  not?" 

"Because  this  fellow's  confederate,  Ole  Hansen,  got  away  from 
me;  that  hurts  my  feelings,  and  I  propose  to  start  in  right  now 
■and  run  him  down.  After  I've  captured  him  you  can  talk  about 
the  debt  of  gratitude  if  you  want  to. " 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  ^OMAN. 


167 


■/it 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


OUTWITT8D  BY  A   WOMAN 


Tick-tick-tick — tick. 

Silence. 

Tick-tick— tick. 

A  \lirhispered  consultation. 

Tick-tick-tick — tick. 

"It's  all  right." 

' '  May  be  a  trick. ' ' 

"No.  Nobody  knows  the  signal  who  isn't  all  right." 

"  Go  to  the  door  and  see. ' ' 

Tick 

The  rapping  began  again,  this  time  louder  than  before,  as  if 
the  party  outside  were  getting  impatient. 

Before  the  signal  had  been  repeated  the  door  upon  which  the 
rapping  occurred  was  opened  a  crack  and  a  gruff  voice  said: 

"What's  wanted?" 

"I  want  to  come  in,  of  course,"  was  the  frank  reply. 

"What  on  the  world  has  come  over  you  fellers  thet  you  don't 
open  up  the  first  time  you  hear  the  signal  ?' ' 

"Hello,  Stokes!"  responded  the  voice  behind  the  door,  speak- 
ing now  more  freely.  "Slip  in  quietly  and  don't  talk  so 
loud." 

"What's  happened  to  scare  you?"  asked  Stokes  as  he  dodged 
through  the  half-open  door  into  a  perfectly  dark  room. 

"We  got  the  tip, "  said  a  voice  in  the  darkness,  "thet  thare 
was  thought  of  raidin'  the  joint,  an'  we  kind  of  half  suspected 
that  somebody  hed  given  away  the  signal." 

"Thar's  not  many  thet  knows  the  signal  is  thar?" 

"No.     Turn  up  the  lights,  Jim." 

"I  shouldn't  hev  thought  thet- you  could  suspect  anybody  of 
being  a  traitor." 

"Oh,  we  don't.  But,  you  know,  thar's  never  any  tellin*. 
You  see,  somebodj'  might  hev  been  listenin'  for  the  signal  an' 
hev  learned  it  without  our  kuowin'  it. 

"The  fact  is,  Stokes,  thet  sifice  you  hev  been  in  Circle  City  a 
good  many  of  us  hev  learned  thet  it  is  possible  for  one  maq  tq 


1 68 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


know  a  tbuuderin'  lot  about  another,  an  '  to  get  on  to  his   tricks 
in  a  way  thet  is  surprisin'." 

Stokes  laughed  lightly. 

"If  I  do  say  it,"  be  responded,  "I  don't  think  thar's  any- 
ho<ly  in  Alaska  just  like  me  at  this  time,  an'  you  fellers  hev  cer- 
tainly notbiu'  to  fear  from  me." 

"Oh,  no,  we  know  you're  square." 

At  Ibis  moment,  a  member  of  the  party  who  had  been  attend- 
ing to  the  lamps  struck  a  match  and  the  room  was  lighted. 

It  was  one  of  three  or  four  small  rooms  at  the  back  of  a  saloon 
which  was  a  favorite  resort  for  the  toughest  characters  in  the 
town. 

It  was  now  long  after  the  hour  at  which  the  sale  of  liquors  was 
forbidden,  and  recent  events  had  made  the  officers  of  the  law 
much  more  strict  than  usual. 

Stokes'  own  experience  in  uncovering  crime  there  had  led  the 
authorities  to  take  more  than  usual  precautions  to  pi  event  the 
assembling  of  toughs,  and  therefore  in  this  resort  the  greatest  care 
was  taken  not  to  let  the  police  suspect  that  any  business  was  done 
after  hours. 

Stokes  himself  was  known  to  be  so  square  that  nobody  in  Cir- 
cle City,  high  oi  low,  feared  that  he  would  play  them  any  trick. 
In  fact,  the  roughest  characters  there  were  rather  inclined  to  be 
unusually  friendly  with  him,  as  if  they  hoped  by  that  means  to 
escape  trouble  at  his  hands  if  they  should  be  charged  with  any 
kind  of  crime. 

So,  in  spite  of  his  recent  detective  work,  he  was  still  able  to 
come  and  go  as  he  pleased  among  the  ver}*  men  whose  actions 
might  give  rise  to  further  work  on  his  part. 

When  the  halt  dozen  who  had  gathered  there  on  this  night 
heard  the  peculiar  series  of  raps  that  announced  the  arrival  of  a 
visitor,  they  turned  out  the  lights  and  kept  still. 

The  second  series  of  raps,  differing  from  the  first  in  the  man- 
ner indicated  above,  convinced  them  that  the  person  outside  was 
familiar  with  their  ways. 

Now  that  they  knew  the  visitor  to  be  Harvey  Stokes,  their 
fears  of  discovery  vanished,  but  they  continued  to  converse  in 
low  tones,  and  only  had  just  enough  light  in  the  room  to  enable 
them  to  reach  for  their  glasses  and  move  about  without  knocking 
things  over. 

"What' 11  you  hev,  Stokes?"  asked  the  proprietot  of  the 
place. 

Stokes  called  for  beer  and  a  cigar  and  sat  down  at  a  small  table 
as  if  he  intended  to  make  a  night  of  it. 

"Are  you  goin' to  do  aLy  more  detective  work  yere ?"  wkcd 
one  of  the  men, 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


169 


tnan- 
Ide  was 


of  the 
ill  table 


Stokes  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  didn't  come  to  Alsaka, "  he  responded,  "with  any  idee  of 
(loin'  detective  work,  an'  when  I  took  up  the  gold  mine  case  I 
thought  thet  would  be  iny  last  experiment. 

"Things  just  happened  to  come  along  to  keep  me  hustling  in 
thet  line,  but  I've  not  yet  thought  of  myself  es  a  regular  detec- 
tive," 

"Thet  ain^t  quite  answerin'  the  question." 
"Ain't  it?" 
"No." 
"Why  not?" 

"Why,  you  was  asked  ef  you  was  gqin'  to  do  any  more  detec- 
tive work  yere. " 

"Well,  I  was  tryin'  to  explain  thet  I   can't  answer  thet  ques- 
tion, for  I  don't  know  what  will  happen." 
"Guess  you're  ready  for  whatever  turns  up." 
"Bet  your  life.     That's   wttdt   I   always  tried  to  be  since  I 
started  out  in  life." 

"Say,  Stokes,  you  started  out  pretty  young,  didn't  you?" 
"Reckon  I  did.     Reckon  I  began  to  live  as  soon  es  I  drew  my 
first  breath." 

The  doors  into  two  adjoining  rooms  were  wide  open.  There 
was  no  lamp  in  either  of  them,  but  the  light  from  the  main  room 
gave  a  dim  view  of  their  interiors. 

Unnoticed  by  the  men  in  the  dive,  Stokes  had   glanced   into 
these  rooms  the  moment  one  of  the  number  struck  a  match 
Apparently  they  were  empty. 

As  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  light,  however,  he   saw 
that  in   one  of  the  rooms  there  was  a  man  seated  before  a  tablt- 
with  his  back  to  the  company  and  his  head  resting  on   his   out 
stretched  arms. 

It  was  so  dark  that  Stokes  could  not  even  judge  of  the  size  of 
this  man  or  tell  what  kind  of  clothes  he  wore,  much  less  recog- 
nize him. 

The  young  fellow  sat  down  in  such  a  way  that  he  could  com- 
mand a  view  of  that  room. 

During  the  conversation,  which  Stokes,  In  spite  of  the  cautions 
of  the  proprietor,  conducted  in  a  rather  loud  voice,  he  kept  his 
eyes  on  this  man,  but  up  to  this  time  had  failed  to  notice  any 
movement. 

It  looked  as  though  the  fellow  was  in  a  drunken  'clumber. 
There  was  nothing  unusual  in  that.  In  fact,  it  was  the  most 
commonplace  thing  to  see  in  one  of  the  back  rooms  one  or  more 
men  who  had  drunk  too  much,  and  who  had  been  put  in  there  to 
sleep  off  the  effects  of  liquor. 

"That  fellow,"  Stokes  thought,  "is  probably  in  the  middle  of 


170 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


h-: 


a  jag.  At  the  same  time,  I  wish  something  would  happen  to  give 
me  a  sight  of  his  face. 

"He  is  so  hunched  up  that  I  can't  make  our  whethet  he  is  big- 
ger or  smaller  than  Ole  Hansen." 

The  last  seen  of  Ole,  it  will  be  recalled,  he  was  making  his  way 
through  the  forest  to  the  south  of  Circle  City. 

As  long  as  he  could  find  food  and  shelter  he  could  defy  capture 
in  the  wilderness,  but  winter  was  now  at  hand,  and  there  was  no 
probability  that  a  fugitive  could  survive  long  in  the  extreme  cold 
of  the  woods  and  mountains. 

Stokes  was  of  the  opinion  that  Ole  would  be  forced  to  return  to 
Circle  City.  There  was  no  other  place  to  which  he  could  go  for 
shelter,  and  it  was  not  at  all  probable  that  he  had  any  means  of 
escape  without  first  going  to  Circle  City. 

For  two  or  three  days,  therefore,  Stokes  had  been  on  the  watch 
for  any  sign  of  Ole,  but  as  yet  had  seen  and  heard  nothing  to 
indicate  that  the  fellow  was  in  the  vicinity. 

His  late  visit  to  this  dive  was  but  a  part  of  his  programme  of 
keeping  his  eyes  open  for  the  fugitive. 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  at  length, "ef  you  gentlemen  don't 
object  I'll  set  'em  up. " 

Of  course  the  "gentlemen"  did  not  object,  and  the  proprietor 
hastened  to  set  bottles  and  glasses  before  them. 

While  this  was  in  progress  a  young  woman  came  into  the 
adjoining  room  through  a  door  that  opened  from  some  other  part 
of  the  building. 

She  glanced  carelessly  toward  the  party  of  whom  Stokes  was  a 
member,  and  sat  down  beside  the  man  whose  head  was  sunk  upon 
his  arms. 

She  laid  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  shook  him  lightly,  and 
whispered  something  to  him.  Stokes  could  not  hear  what  she 
said,  but  he  observed  her  intently. 

He  had  no  reason  to  suspect  that  she  or  the  man  in  the  other 
room  was  in  any  way  connected  with  the  .  -.ac  that  interested 
him,  but  he  was  on  the  lookout  for  every  chance  that  might 
throw  light  upon  it. 

He  would  have  been  intensely  interested  if  he  could  have 
overheard  the  remark  that  the  apparently  sleeping  man  made  to 
the  woman  after  she  shook  him.  It  consisted  of  two  words, 
only: 

"T'at's  him!" 

Stokes  noticed  that  the  young  woman  started  slightly  and  that 
she  again  looked  at  him  and  his  companions.  None  of  the  latter 
paid  any  attention  to  her,  but  after  the  drinks  had  been  served  the 
proprietor  looked  toward  her  and  asked  if  she  wanted  anything. 
She  shook  her  head. 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


171 


"Plumb  paralyzed,  ain't  he?"  asked  the  proprietor  with  a 
grin. 

She  nodded  and  tnrned  her  face  away. 

Stokes  was  greatly  annoyed. 

'* I  wonder, "  he  said  to  himself,  "if  I'm  making  a  fool  of 
myself  by  giving  that  man  and  woman  any  thought?  I  can't 
help  it  if  I  am. 

"There's  one  thing  certain;  as  long  as  I  sit  here  he  isn't  going 
to  wake  up. 

"If  he's  the  fellow  I  want,  which  is  not  unlikely,  he's  going 
to  pretend  to  sleep  until  after  I  have  gone,  so  I  shall  gain  nothing 
by  sitting  here.      I  must  give  him  a  chance  to  stir." 

Accordingly  after  the  drinks  had  been  taken  Stokes  declined 
the  treat  that  the  proprietor  and  the  others  would  have  set  up, 
made  an  excuse  to  go  and  left  the  place  after  shaking  hands  all 
atound. 

His  queer  friends  wishetl  hira  good  luck,  and  probably  some 
of  them  would  have  insisted  upon  going  out  with  him  if  it  had 
not  been  for  fear  that  so  many  leaving  the  place  at  the  same  time 
would  attract  the  attention  of  some  policeman  and  so  cause  the 
place  to  be  raided. 

Stokes  went  out  and  walked  rapidly  away. 

He  took  no  pains  to  deaden  his  footsteps,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
made  as  much  noise  walking  as  he  could. 

When  he  had  gone  a  few  paces  he  turned  about  and  retraced 
his  steps,  proceeding  this  time  as  noiselessly  as  possible.* 

He  concealed  himself  in  a  dark  corner  near  the  private  door  to 
the  saloon,  prepared  for  another  experience  of  long  waiting. 

"Ole  kept  me  freezing  through  the  last  half  of  one  night,"  he 
said  to  himself,  "and  it  didn't  kill  me,  although  he  got  away, 
afterward.  If  he's  the  fellow  that's  in  there  now  I'll  willingly 
wait  the  rest  of  this  night  for  the  chance  of  seeing  him  when  he 
conies  out. ' ' 

More  than  half  an  hour  passed  before  anything  happened  to 
vary  the  monotony.  Then  a  man  approached  the  private  door 
from  without,  gave  the  correct  signals  and  was  admitted. 

Shortly  after  two  others  came  away  from  the  place.  Then,  at 
intervals  of  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour,  other  men  left  the 
place,  until  by  count  all  who  had  been  in,  or  gone  in  .since  Stokes' 
arrival,  had  left  the  place,  except  two — the  proprietor,  who  would 
not  probably  come  out  that  night  at  all,  and  the  stranger  in  the 
adjoining  room. 

"This  seems  to  prove,"  Stokes  ueflected,  "that  the  stranger 
■ '^^really  had  a  jag  on  and  that  he  is  too  far  gone  to  walk.    Of  course 
the  proprietor  won't  throw  him   out,  for  that  would  be  a  give 
away  upon  the  business  done  after  hours, 


i^a 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


"HeMl  let  hitu  sleep  it  off  there  and  I  won't  see  anything  of 
him  until  long  after  daylight. 

"It  does  seem  as  if  he  Wouldn't  have  waited  all  this  time  to 
come  out  if  he  was  simpl>  auxious  for  a  chance  to  get  away  when 
the  coast  was  clear. 

"At  the  saiiie  time,  I  don't  like  to  risk  leaving  this  place  as 
long  as  he  is  inside,  and  I'm  not  going  to. 

"I'll  stick  it  ^ut  here  until  business  opens  up  in  the  morning, 
even  if  I  freeze  ia  my  boots." 

In  this  Stokes  showed  himself  the  true  detective  by  his 
patience  and  determination  no',  to  let  a  single  chance  escape  him. 

He  had,  tlierefore,  the  con  fort  of  feeling  that,  he  was  doing 
the  riji^ht  thing,  but  if  be  coald  have  seen  what  was  going  on  in 
the  dive  after  the  last  cuitoner  had  departed,  probably  he  would 
not  have  felt  so  good  abou^.  it. 

The  door  closed  upon  the  last  one,  and  the  proprietor  stood  for 
a  moment  in  the  middle  of  the  main  room  looking  doubtfully 
at  the  .sleeping  figure  in  the  back  room  and  !he  wOiUan  who  still 
sat  beside  him. 

Presently  the  proprietor  said   gnf^ly: 

"I  can't  keep  open  vcre  all  night  unless  that's  somethin' 
in  it." 

The  young  woman  vaised  her  head  and  asked : 

"Have  they  all  gone?" 

"Yies, "  was  the  reply,  "an'  thar  hain't  Itkely  to  be  any  more 
coniin'  in  to-night." 

"Are  you  sure  they  are  all  gone  " 

"Of  course  I  am,  an'  I'd  chuck  your  feller  out  ef  it  wasn't  thet 
he  would  fall  esleep  in  front  of  the  door  an'  so  give  the  thing 
away." 

"He  won't  fall  a.slccp, "  she  responded,  quickly.  "He's  ready 
to  go  now. " 

"You  can't  take  care  of  him."  said  the  proprietor,  contempt- 
uously. "A  greal  big  hulk  of  a  feller  like  that  will  fall  all  over 
the  .street  in  spite  of  anything  that  you  can  do." 

"He  isi:  '.    ..auk." 

"Not  drunk?     Then  what " 

"Listen,"  she  said,  rising.  "You  don't  want  to  keep  the 
place  open  unless  there's  something  in  it.  I  understand  what 
that  means. 

"We're  not  spending  any  money  for  drinks,  and  shouldn't  do 
so  if  we  re  nained  here.  We  don't  want  to  retaain.  On  the  other 
hand,  we  want  to  get  away  at  once;  but  we  don't  want  to  go  out 
by  that  private  door. ' ' 

"It's  the  only  way " 

•'Hear  me!"  she  interrupted,  and  she  took  r  purse  from  liw 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


173 


bosom,  which  she  opened  and  dinplayed  a  number  of  gold  coins. 

"You  shall  not  lose  anything.    Let  us  out  by  some  other  way. " 

The  proprietor  looked  hard  at  her  for  a  moment  and  then  said, 
sternly : 

"Jennie,  thar's  somethin'  crooked  yere." 

She  did  not  answer. 

"Thar's  somethin*  crooked  yere,"  he  repeated,  or  you 
wouldn't  be  afraid  to  go  out  the  way  the  others  went. 

"Now,  it's  the  only  way  thet  you  can  go  out.  I  let  you  come 
in  this  evenin'  to  my  family  rooms  upstairs  because  you  begged 
so  haid  an'  said  thar  wouldn't  be  no  trouble.  Thet's  all  right. 
I'm  not  begrudgin'  you  Ihet,  but  now  you've  got  to  take  your 
own  chances,  an'  I  won't  hev  you  takin'  any  thet's  likely  to 
bring  trouble  to  me.  You  jest  can't  go  out  the  front  way,  an' 
thet's  the  only  other  way  besides  the  back  way — see?" 

"Dan,"  she  said,  earnestly,  "you  take  chances  of  trouble  every 
time  you  sell  liquor  in  this  place  after  hours,  don't  you?" 

"I  reckon  I  do." 

"You  might  be  fined,  imprisoned,  and  driven  out  of  business 
simply  for  the  selling  of  one  twenty-five  cent  drink,  mightn't 
you?" 

"I  recko*^  thet's  so." 

"ill  other  words,'  she  continued,  "you  take  great  risks  for  a 
quarter  of  a  dollar.  " 

"Well,"  he  answered,  "1  take  poitis  to  make  those  risks  as 
small  es  possible,  so  thet  nobody  c.sU  /et  in  only  those  who  are 
friendly." 

"And  yet  you  let  a  detect '"e  in  here  to-night." 
.  "Oh,  I  see!     It's  h'.m  you  re  afiaid  of." 

"Yes,  it  is,"  she  said,  dchantiy.  "And  what  I'm  getting  at  is 
this:  When  you're  willing  to  tike  risks  for  a  few  cents  you 
ought  to  be  willing  to  take  other  risks  for  this,"  and  she  laid 
two  gold  coins  on  the  table. 

The  proprietor  looked  hard  at  them.  They  represented  a  good 
deal  more  money  than  he  would  take  in  in  the  couise  of  a  good 
evening's  business. 

"Thet's  right  scjuare  of  ye,  Jennie,"  he  said  after  a  minute. 
"An'  I  give  you  my  word  for  one  thing,  thet  whatever  happens 
I  woii*t  put  your  feller  in  Stokes'  way. 

"Who  is  he?" 

"Don't  ask,"  she  answered,  "and  I  shan't  have  to  tell  you  any 
lies." 

The  proprietor  grunted  and  thought  a  moment,  then  he  said : 

•'The  front  door  is  simply  impossible,  Jen  ie.  A  man  an'  a 
woman  goin'  sneakin'  out  of  thar  at  this  hour  of  the  night  would 
be  the  strongest  kind  of  a  givf;  away. 


174 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


"I  couldn't  account  fer  it  an'  it  would  be  dangerous  fer  your 
feller." 

"There  is  another  way,"  she  answered. 

"What  other  way?" 

'  When  I  was  in  your  sitting-room  upstairs  I  noticed  that  the 
ell  of  the  building  next  to  this  is  only  about  seven  feet  below  the 
window  of  that  room.     We  can  get  out  that  way." 

"You'd  get  shot  fer  burglars!" 

'Not  we." 

"You'd  be  sure  to  wake  people  up!" 

"Try  it." 

She  put  another  coin  upon  the  table  and  then  turned  to  her 
companion  and  said : 

"Come,  we  mustn't  stay  here  longer." 

The  man  arose  promptly.  He  was  a  very  tall  fellow,  and  his 
long,  heavy  coat  made  him  look  even  larger  than  be  was.  The 
collar  was  turned  up  about  his  iace  and  his  hat  pulled  down  so 
that  only  his  eyes  were  visible. 

"It's  risky,"  said  the  proprietor,  with  an  admiring^ glance  at 
the  man's  tall  figure,  "but  ef  you're  really  sieady — ef  you  ain't 
got  no  jag,  you  might  manage  it." 

The  man  made  a  gesture  to  show  chat  he  had  diunk  nothing 
and  turned  toward  the  door  through  which  the  wonian  had 
entered  the  room.  She  stepped  ahead  of  him,  opened  the  door, 
and  all  three  passed  through. 

They  were  then  in  a  dark  hall  through  which  they  felt  their 
way  to  the  stairs.     The  woman  led  the  way. 

At  the  top  of  the  flight  r.he  opened  the  door  of  a  room  and 
stepped  across  ri  to  a  window,  which  she  raised. 

"Don't  wait,"  she  whispered.  Her  roinpanion  let  him.self  out 
of  the  '.vindow,  while  the  proprietor  whi'-pc- •'»d  excitedly: 

"Be  careful  not  to  come  down  hard  on  the  roof  of  thet  ell." 

Neither  man  nor  woman  made  any  reply  to  this.  With  no 
more  than  a  faint  rustling  noise  the  man  let  himself  down,  and 
presently  his  :ipraised  hands  appeared  above  the  window  sill, 
showing  that  he  stood  on  the  roof  of  the  adjoiuing  ell  seven  feet 
below. 

"Good-by"'  whispered  Jennie  as  she  began  to  make  her  own 
way  from  the  window.  Her  companion  received  her  in  his  arms, 
carried  her  noiselesssly  across  the  ell,  where  he  set  her  upon  her 
feet. 

Then  he  let  himself  down  to  the  ground  as  he  had  gone  from 
the  window,  and  again  she  let  herself  down  into  his  arms. 

The  proprietor  of  the  dive  stood  at  the  open  window  until  he 
heard  the  faint  sounds  of  their  feet  crunching  upon  the  snow  as 
they  hurried  away. 


"tl 
his 
an 
hai 

ev« 


OUTWITTED  BY  A  WOMAN. 


J75 


"Well,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  lowered  the  window  again, 
"thet  was  takin'  long  chances,  but  ef  Harvey  Stokes  really  bed 
his  eye  on  thet  feller  they  hed  good  reason  to  take  them  chances, 
an'  I  reckon  thet  between  Jennie  an'  the  man,  Stokes  will  hev  a 
harder  nut  t*^  crack  than  he  hes  tackled  yet. 

"It  looks  to  me  ^s  ef  the  chances  air  thet  in  this  case,  what- 
ever it  is,  Stokes  will  get  left." 


176 


CHECKMATKDi 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CHECKMATED. 

Shortly  before  sunrise,  which,  of  coivrse,  came  late  at  that  sea- 
son, Stokes  noticed  signs  within  the.  dive  to  vShow  that,  it  was 
being  made  ready  for  the  day's  business. 

He  stepped  quickly  around  to  the  front  door  and  tried  the  han- 
dle. The  door  was  locked,  but  the  key  was  promptly  turned  by 
a  man  within. 

"Hello,  Stokes!"  this  man  said  whei  he  opened  the  door  and 
saw  the  visitor.     "Ain't  you  up  early?" 

"Yes,"  said  Stokes,  "i  wanted  to  get  here  before  you  rpened 
up,  to  see  if  I  could  find  a  letter. ' ' 

"A  letter?" 

' '  Yes.  I  was  in  here  late  last  night,  it's  possible  I  might  hev 
left  it  here." 

"I've  not  sepn  anything  yet,  but  I've  not  more  than  begun  to 
clear  up.     You  know  wliere  you  was  settin',  don't  you?" 

"Oh,  yes;  in  the  largest  of  the  three  rooms  at  the  back." 

"Very  well.  Go  in  there  an'  poke  around.  Light  a  lamp  ef 
you  want  to." 

Stokes  went  in  and  for  two  or  three  minutes  pretended  to 
hunt  for  a  letter.  His  first  glance  within  was  sufficient,  however. 
He  saw  that  the  man  for  whose  coming  he  had  waited  all  during 
the  dreary  hours  was  not  there. 

"I'm  done — done  completely,"  he  said,  "and  the  worst  is 
that  I  don't  know  whether  the  fellow  that  has  escaped  me  is  the 
fellow  I  want  or  not. ' ' 

He  took  an  envelope  from  his  pocket  and  returned  with  it  to 
the  barroom. 

"Found  it,  didn't  you?"  said  the  barkeeper. 

"Yes,  I  thought  I  .should." 

* '  Have  an  eye  opener  ?" 

♦'Don't  know  but  1  will." 

Stokes  leaned  carelessly  against  the  bar  and  remarked: 

"Dan  don't  hev  many  lodgers,  does  he?" 

"Many?"  returned  the  barkeeper  in  surprise.  "He  don't  hev 
none. ' ' 

"None  at  all?" 


CHECKMATED. 


177 


"No,  of  course.     What  made  you  think  he  did?" 

"Why,  1  don't  know,"  Stokes  answered,  doubtfully.  "I  kind 
of  got  the  idee  thet  he  put  people  up  yere  over  night  some- 
times." 

"Well,,"  responded  the  barkeeper  with  a  laugh,  "I  don't  say 
thet  he  don't  once  in  a  while,  when  some  miner  gets  so  allfired 
jagged  thet  he  can't  move." 

"Thet  was  what  I  was  thinkin'  of,"  said  Stokes. 

"Hut  in  thet  case,"  the  bartender  continued,  "the  lodger 
spends  the  night  in  one  of  those  back  rooms." 

"Don't  he  ever  go  to  any  of  the  rooms  upstairs?" 

"Nothin'  like  thet  lies  ever  happened  since  I  worked  yere." 

"Not  last  night,  for  instance?" 

"I  should  say  not.  Dan's  family  and  myself  are  the  only 
ones  who  slept  in  this  building." 

"Funny  I  should  be  mistaken  about  it,"  §tokes  remarked, 
carelessly ;  and  a  moment  later  he  left  the  place. 

He  crossed  the  street  and  looked  at  the  row  of  buildings  in 
which  the  saloon  was  siluated.  H**  knew  that  it  was  altogether 
unlikely  that  the  proprietor  should  we  allowed  his  customer?  to 
go  out  by  the  front  door. 

"It  is  not  altogether  certain,"  he  reflected,  "that  they  were 
not  permitted  to  spend  the  night  in  one  of  Dan's  rooms;  at  the 
same  time  the  chances  are  altogether  against  that.  I^et's  see 
what  I  can  find." 

He  made  the  entire  circuit  of  the  block  in  which  the  build- 
ings were  situated,  and  also  explored  the  two  or  three  alleys  that 
run  between  them. 

He  presently  found  h)mself  at  the  back  of  the  buildings  and 
looking  across  the  low  ell  to  a  window  that  he  knew  must  open 
upon  one  of  Dan's  rooms. 

"It  cuuld  have  been  done,"  he  said  to  himself.  "A  short  man 
like  lue  couldn't  have  dropped  from  Dan's  window  to  that  roof 
without  making  some  noise  about  it,  and  a  girl  would  have  had 
more  trouble  still. 

"But  Ole  Hansen  is  a  perfect  giant,  and  if  he  was  the  fellow  it 
would  have  been  easy  enough  for  him  to  get  down  there  without 
noise  and  lift  the  girl  down  after  him. 

"I  guess  that's  what  happened,  and  1  have  to  begin  again." 

He  went  thoughtfullv  away  from  the  place  and  returned  to  his 
own  liott'l,  whore  he  bieakfasted.  Shortly  after  this  he  was  told 
that  soutfbody  wished  to  see  l'.im  in  the  hidies'  parlor.  He  went 
there  and  saw  that  a  young  woman  wtis  waiting  for  him,  who, 
althou'^h  she  was  dressed  very  differently  from  the  one  he  had 
seen  the  night  before  and  although  her  face  was  veiled,  he  at 
once  decided  was  the  o.'ie  who  hud  sat  by  the  sleeping  stranger. 


X78 


CHECKMATED. 


*'Is  tbis  Mr.  Harvey  Stokes?"  she  asked. 

"That's  juy  name,"  the  detective  answered. 

"I  have  some  information  for  you,  "she  said,  "that  I  am 
afraid,  almort  afraid,  to  give." 

"I  hope  you're  not  afraid  of  me,  miss." 

"No.  I  hear  so  much  that  is  good  about  you  that  I  shouldn't 
fear  you,  but  I  thought  that  you  might  feel  that  I  was  inter- 
fering, ' ' 

"  Nothing  that  you  would  say  would  ^v<:  me  anything  but 
pleasure, ' '  Stokes  gallantly  responded. 

He  motioned  to  a  chair,  but  she  she  ok  her  head. 

"It  is  only  a  woi  i, "  she  said,  "and  it  may  not  interest  you, 
but  from  what  I  have  heard  I  think  it  v/ill." 

Stokes  bowed  to  signify  that  he  was  listening. 

"You  have  recently  exposed  a  swindler, "  she  continued  In  a 
low  voice,  "who  is  generally  known  as  Captain  De  Bilkyou." 

"1  have  had  that  pleasure." 

' '  The  captain  had  a  servant  who  was  concerned  with  him  in  his 
crimes. ' ' 

"Yes." 

"You  did  not  succeed  in  capturing  the  servant." 

"I  re^^ret  to  say  that  I  did  not." 

The  woman  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  said : 

"1  understand  that  you  are  auibitious  to  capture  the  servant." 

Stokes  looked  hard  at  the  veiled  face  for  a  moment  before  he 
answered : 

"I  am  not  a  government  detective,  and  I  am  not  certain  that  1 
can  admit  that  my  ambition " 

"But  I  am  sure  that  you  want  to  find  him,"  the  woman  inter- 
rupted. 

"Very  well,  what  then?" 

"I  can  tell  you  where  he  is." 

"I  shall  certainly  not  dechne  to  accept  your  information,  but  I 
hope  you  are  j^erfectly  certain  that  you  are  correct." 

"Oh,  I  am,  '  she  answered  hastily.  "Indeed,  I  know  abso- 
lutelv  what  I  am  talking  about." 

"Well,  fheii.'" 

"You'll  find  him  at  <«e  o'clock  this  afternoon  in  an  aban- 
doned Esquimau's  hut  u«ai  the  edge  of  the  forest  two  miles  south 
of  Circle  City.  You  know  the  main  road  that  leads  in  that  direc- 
tion?" 

"Yes,"  Stokes  re»pouded.     "i  have  been  over  that  road  " 
"Perhaps  you  have  noticed  the  hut  that  i  iipeak  of." 
" I  have." 

"He's  to  be  there  at  one  o  clock.     I  presume  I  need  say  no 


CHECKMATED. 


179 


more.     A  hint  to  such  a  clever  detective  as  you  are  is  enough." 

She  started  as  if  she  would  leave  the  room. 

•'Excuse  me,"  Stokes  saiu.  "The  hint  is  enough,  but  if  you 
wish  to  help  me  in  the  capture  of  this  crimiual  you  may  be  able 
to  give  me  a  little  further  information." 

' '  No.     It  is  really  all  I  know, ' '  she  answered. 

" But  how  should  you  suppose, "  Stokes  asked,  "that  I  cared 
anything  about  this  man  Hansen  ?"^ 

"Why,"  she  answered,  "the  matter  has  been  the  subject  of 

calk  in  certain  circles,  but  really  J. '      she  hesitated  and  then 

answered :      ^ 

"You  can  understand  that  a  lady  would  not  like  to  be  known 
as  taking  part  in  a  detective's  investigations," 

"Of  course,"  Stokes  responded.  "I  can  understand  that,"  he 
added  aloud,  "but  I  do  feel  that  it  might  help  if  you  would 
let  me  know  how  you  obtained  your  information  as  to  Hansen's 
movements. ' ' 

She  bowed  her  head  a  moment  and  said: 

'  •  I   think  I   can  safely  say  this  much :     That  during  his  stay 

here  Ole — that  is,  Hansen became  very  much  interested  in  a 

maid  servant.  I  would  rather  not  say  it  was  my  servant.  I  will 
leave  you  to  guess  that.  His  return  here  was  to  see  her,  and  so  I 
learn.cd  from  her — you  understand. ' ' 

"Ah!  yes.  Then  he  has  an  appointment  to  meet  her  at  this 
hut  ihat  you  speak  of  ?' ' 

"  Kxactly ;  and  he'll  be  sure  to  be  there." 

"Very  well,  then;  I'll  be  there  also." 

The  visitor  bowed  »»nd  again  started  to  leave  the  room. 

"I'm  exceedingly  obliged  to  you,"  Stokes  said,  wishing  to  find 
some  excuse  to  prolong  the  conversation. 

"Don't  mention  it,"  she  answered,  "and  please,  if  you  guess 
who  I  am,  don't  let  anybody  know  that  I  called  upon  you  on 
this  business." 

"I  will  remember,"  he  said.    •  • 

She  left  the  room  and  started  downstairs. 

Stokes  was  excited.  What  he  thought  about  the  matter  may 
be  best  judged  by  wiia't  he  did. 

He  ran  to  a  window  that  looked  out  upon  the  main  street, 
concealed  himself  in  the  curtains,  and  stood  there  antil  he  saw 
the  woman  leave  the  hotel. 

He  noticed  the  direction  which  she  took  and  then  hurried 
down  the  stairs  after  her. 

"I've  got  no  business  to  do  this  work, "  he  said  to  himself, 
angrily,  "without  a  complete  set  of  disguises.  If  I  ever  under- 
take another  case  I'll  look  out  for  that.  As  it  is,  I  haven't  got 
so  much  as  a  falac  mustache  to  put  on. ' ' 


x8o 


CHECKMATED. 


A  little  way  below  the  hotel  Stokes  saw  a  closed  carriage  wait- 
ing by  the  curb.     He  hurried  dowu  to  it. 

*'I  want  you,"  he  said  to  the  driver. 

"I'm  engaged,"  was  the  response. 

"It  aon'l  make  any  differeuce,     I've  got  to  have  you." 
#  * '  But  my  customer ' ' 

"And  your  customer  can  find  somebody  else.  Here — do  you 
see  that  ?' ' 

Stokes  held  up  a  hundred-dollar  bill.  The  driver's  eyes 
opened  wide. 

"  It  is  yours, "  said  Stokes,  "  if  your  carriage  is  mine  for  an 
hour." 

"Good  Lord!"  was  the  res|)onse.  "You ran  have  it  for  a  week 
on  those  terms !     Where  to  ?" ' 

The  driver,  who  saw  that  Stokes  was  in  a  great  hurry,  jumped 
to  his  seat. 

Stokes  looked  up  the  street  The  woman  who  had  called  upon 
him  was  in  sight,  walking  rapidly. 

"Drive  in  the  same  direction  that  you  are  pointing  now  until 
I  tell  you  to  stop." 

He  got  into  the  carriage,  which  started  off  at  once.  The 
woman  was  overtaken  just  as  she  turned  into  a  street  that  led 
toward  the  northern  part  of  the  town. 

It  was  little  more  than  a  road,  having  few  houses  upon  it,  and 
almost  none  beyond  a  little  distance  from  the  main  thoroughfare. 

Stokes  signalled  to  his  driver  to  sto'.)  and  got  out.  The  woman 
was  still  walking  rapidly,  as  if  she  had  a  long  distance  to  go 
before  coming  to  her  stopping  place. 

"Get  inside,"  said  Stokes  to  the  driver.  His  tone  and  man- 
ner  were  so  commanding  that  the  driver  obeyed  without  hesi- 
tation. 

Stokes  followed  him. 

' '  Take  off  your  coat  and  cap, ' '  he  said. 

The  driver  complied  wondwingly,  while  Stokes  did  the  same. 

The  detective  had  an  expr  nsive  overcoat  and  derby  hat.  The 
driver's  coat  was  an  immense  article  of  brown  fur  and  his  cap 
was  of  bearskin. 

"I  don't  know  whether  you  can  get  inside  my  coat,"  said 
Stokes,  "but  you  can  throw  it  over  your  shoulders  and  prevent 
yourself  from  taking  cold.  I'm  going  to  do  the  driving  for  r 
while." 

While  saying  this  he  was  throwing  on  the  driver't,  coat, 
which,  of  course,  was  very  much  too  large  for  him.  This  did 
not  worry  him  at  all,  for  he  knew  that  while  sitting  upon  the 
driver's  seat  the  appearance  of  the  misfit  would  not  be  noticeable. 

He  drew  the  bearskin  cap  down  over  his  forehead  and  climbed 


CHKCKMATED. 


i8i 


up  to  the  box,  leaving  the  real  driver  inside.  Then,  confident 
that  he  was  disguised  enough  for  ordinary  purposes,  he  whipped 
up  and  turned  the  carriage  into  the  road  which  the  woman  had 
taken. 

She  was  still  in  sight,  and  Stokes  allowed  the  horse  to  walk  for 
fear  of  attracting  her  attention  by  driving  rapidly.  For  at  least 
a  mile  he  slowly  followed  her. 

At  last,  when  they  were  beyond  all  houses,  he  .saw  her  turn  from 
the  road  into  a  field  and  begin  to  cross  it.  She  looked  back  as 
she  did  so,  and  when  .she  saw  the  carriage  she  hastened  her  .steps, 
at  the  same  time  taking  out  a  handkerchief  and  waving  it. 

"That's  a  signal,"  Stokes  said  to  himself,  "and  it  means  that 
she  suspects  what  this  carriage  is  here  for." 

He  brought  the  lash  hard  down  upon  the  honse's  back  and 
called  to  him  to  get  up.  In  half  a  minute  he  had  come  to  the 
point  where  the  woman  had  entered  the  field.  She  was  on  the 
dead  run  now,  and  Stokes  began  to  understand  her  movements. 

This  field  ended  a  short  distance  away  at  a  clilT  forty  or  fifty 
feet  in  height  that  sunk  sheer  down  into  the  river.  It  was  so  sit- 
uated that  a  boat  lying  below  it  could  not  by  any  possibility  bo 
seen  from  any  part  of  Circle  City. 

"This  means,"  thought  vStokes,  "that  Ole  was  the  man  in  the 
dive  last  night  and  that  he  is  planning  to  get  away.  The  only 
possible  way  to  escape  is  by  water. 

"He  wouldn't  have  dared  to  go  out  of  the  harbor  openly,  so 
he's  had  his  boat  in  hiding  up  here;  and  this  woman,  in  order 
to  give  him  a  chance  to  get  away,  tried  to  fool  me  into  going 
miles  away  in  the  opposite  direction. 

"Now  she's  probably  giving  him  the  signal  that  the  game 
didn't  work." 

As  the  carriage  came  up  to  the  point  where  the  woman  had 
entered  the  field  Stokes  shouted,  "Whoa,"  gave  the  reins  a  vio- 
lent jerk,  then  dropped  them  and  leaped  to  the  ground. 

He  started  on  a  dead  run  after  the  woman,  leaving  the  driver 
to  gue.ss  when  he  would  come  back. 

He  had  gone  but  a  few  paces  when  he  found  that  the  driver's 
long  >and  heavy  coat  was  an  obstacle  to  his  progress.  It  was  not 
only  heavy,  but  he  tripped  upon  it  constantly ;  accordingly  he 
took  it  off  and  threw  it  upon  the  ground. 

The  woman  had  a  pretty  good  start  of  him,  but  as  Stokes  was 
a  very  fleet  runner  he  gained  on  her  rapidly  after  disposing  of 
the  coat. 

She  rea''hed  the  edge  of  the  cliff  ahead  of  him. 
As  the  land  rose  slightly  to  the  edge  Stokes  cowld  uot  see  the 
water. 


I82 


CHECKMATED. 


Arriving  at  the  cliflF  edge,  the  woman  shook  her  handkerchief 
two  or  three  times  violently,  then  faced  about  and  cried: 

"Halt!     Advance  another  step  at  your  peril!" 

Stokes  saw  that  she  held  a  revolver  in  her  hand. 

He  reached  instantly  for  his  weapon  without  stopping  in  his 
run.  The  woman  raised  the  weapon  before  Stokes  had  more  than 
touched  the  butt  of  his  revolver  and  fired. 

She  was  either  no  marksman  or  the  excitement  caused  her 
hand  to  shake,  for  the  ball  plowed  a  furrow  in  the  snow  several 
feet  at  one  side  of  the  detective. 

"Two  can  play  that  game,  my  lady,"  shouted  Stokes,  with  his 
weapon  in  the  air. 
■    "Drop  that  revolver,  or  I  fire,  and  I  shan'^  miss!" 

She  gave  him  just  one  glance  of  terror,  then  turned  about,  fac- 
ing the  river,  and  threw  the  revolver  far  from  her. 

The  next  instant  Stokes  had  his  hands  upon  her,  and  standing 
there  at  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  he  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  revol- 
ver fall  into  the  hands  of  Ole  Hansen,  who  stood  in  the  stern  of 
a  sloop-rigged  boat  almost  directly  under  him. 

"Good-by!"  Ole  shouted,  triumphantly,  as  he  seized  the  tiller. 

He  gave  the  two  Esquimaux,  who  were  evidently  the  crew  of 
the  boat,  some  instructions,  in  obedience  to  which  they  cut  tlu- 
anchor  rope,  pushed  the  mainsail  so  that  it  should  the  more 
quickly  catch  the  wind,  and  almost  instantly  the  sloop  glided 
away. 

"No  come  back  pretty  soon,"  Ole  shouted,  turning  once  more 
to  the  cliff.  "Wen  you  catch  me,  tell  me!  Good-by,  Mr. 
Stokes!" 

"Yes,"  said  the  woman  at  the  detective's  side,  defiantly, 
"when  you  catch  him  you  might  tell  me,  tool" 


in  ; 


...►-\> 


JJAaiNG  IN  A  KAYAK. 


183 


/ 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

SAILING     IN     A     KAYAK. 

Aa  she  said  this  she  raised  her  veil,  and  Stokes  saw  that  he 
was  not  mistaken  iu  identifying  her  as  the  woman  who  had  been 
in  Dan's  dive  the  night  before. 

He  was  filled  with  anger  against  her  because  she  had  out- 
witted him,  and  yet  he  could  not  repress  a  feeling  of  admiration 
at  the  same  time  for  the  cleverness  and  boldness  with  which  she 
had  worked. 

"You  made  just  one  mistake,  mi.ss, "  he  exclaimed,  "when 
you  thought  you  could  throw  me  off  the  track  with  a  ghost  story 
about  a  meeting  in  a  hut." 

"I  don't  care,"  she  retorted.     "Ole  has  got  away,  anyhow." 

"He  had  to  leave  you  behind,"  remarked  Stokes. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  looked  down  at  the  water, 
where  Ole's  sloop  was  sailing  away  to  the  sea. 

"Yes,  that's  true,"  she  admitted,  a  little  sadly.  "An  hour  or 
two  more,  and  we  might  have  gone  together;  but  that's  nothing 
now  that  he  has  escaped  your  clutches." 

"It  must  make  him  feel  nice,"  exclaimed  vStokes,  in  exaspera- 
tion, "to  know  that  he  has  escaped  and  left  you  here." 

The  woman  turned  upon  him  with  a  scornful  laugh. 

•'What  nonsense  are  you  thinking  of?"  she  cried.  "You  have 
nothing  against  me.     You  can't  touch  me. " 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  responded  Stokes.  "In  most 
countries  it  is  a  criminal  offence  to  fire  a  revolver  at  a  man." 

Her  face  grew  slightly  pale  and  she  bil  her  lip. 

"I  think  I  should  get  clear  on  a  plea  of  self-defence,"  she  said 
in  a  low  voice. 

"Yes,  I.think  you  would,"  Stokes  thought. 

He  had  been  so  angry  and  so  exasperated  at  the  escape  of  Ole 
that  he  had  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  cliff  looking  vainly  after  the 
retreating  boat.  Now  his  senses  returned  with  a  characteristic 
detennination  not  to  be  balked  iu  this  way. 

"It  looks  as  if  I  was  playing  a  losing  h-^ind,  but  the  game  is 
not  finished  yet,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  without  a  word  to  the 
woman  he  stp-  ted  on  a  run  back  toward  the  carriage. 


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SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


K 


' '  She's  probably  right, ' '  he  reflected,  ' '  in  saying  that  I  couldn't 
hold  her  on  any  charge;  and  although  it's  possible  that  she  may 
have  been  an  accomplice  of  Ole  and  Captain  De  Bilkyou  in  their 
swindling  operations,  she  is  not  an  important  member  of  the 
conspiracy  and  can  be  let  alone  until  I  can  manage  to  catch  Ole. 

"That  is  still  the  main  thing,  and  we'll  see  if  there's  not  a  boat 
in  Circle  City  that  can  be  hired  or  bought  to  chase  him  with." 

Near  the  edge  of  the  field  he  met  the  driver,  who  had  left  the 
carriage  to  take  up  his  overcoat. 

" I  thought  when  you  bolted,"  the  driver  vsaid,  "that  I  was 
going  to  lose  my  hundred  dollars  and  my  clothing,  too." 

"Your  hundred  is  all  right,  but  the  hour  is  not  up  yet," 
Stokes  answered. 

"Put  on  your  coat  and  drive  to  the  docks  at  a  two-thirty  gait; 
you  shall  have  your  hundred  when  you  get  there. ' ' 

The  driver  ran  to  his  seat  and  whipped  up  before  Stokes  was 
half  in  the  carriage.  No  horse  was  ever  driven  so  fast  in  Circle 
City  before, 

Arrived  at  the  docks,  Stokes  handed  over  the  hundred-dollar 
bill,  which  the  driver  took  with  the  remark : 

" Obleeged  to  ye,  boss.  Now  if  I'm  in  good  luck  I  can  get 
back  to  that  store  in  time  to  pick  up  my  other  customer." 

It  is  a  r"rious  fact,  which  Stokes  learned  long  afteiward,  that 
the  driver  succeeded  in  doing  just  that,  and  so  made  a  clean 
profit  out  of  the  detective's  transaction. 

On  the  way  to  the  docks  Stokes  thought  over  the  boats  that 
he  knew  about  in  Circle  City,  and  made  up  his  mind  that  as 
there  was  no  steam  craft  that  could  be  obtained  he  would  have 
to  put  up  with  any  sailboat  that  might  be  offered.  Most  boats  of 
this  kind  had  been  laid  up  for  the  winter. 

There  were  no  schooners  or  sloops  in  active  service,  therefore, 
except  a  few  fishermen.  It  so  happened  that  all  of  these  were 
absent  at  the  time,  having  taken  advantage  of  the  fair  day  to  go 
a  long  way  off. 

Stokes  took  in  this  situation  with  a  sweeping  glance  at  the 
harbor.  ' 

Two  or  three  old  tubs  that  could  hardly  have  been  made  to  sail 
more  than  font  miles  an  hour  in  the  best  of  weather  were  laying 
at  anchor  a  little  way  from  the  landing  place,  but  Stokes 
thought  he  would  rather  try  to  walk  across  the  water  than  to 
make  a  race  in  any  of  them. 

His  heart  felt  very  heavy  as  he  saw  that  Ole  had  possession  of 
just  about  the  only  boat  that  could  have  been  obtained  that  morn- 
ing. 

"The  woman  got  it  for  him,"  he  said  to  himself,  "and  bad 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


185 


the  boat  sent  around  to  the  other  side  of  that  cliff  to  wait  for 
him. 

"Confound  the  luck!  or  rather  my  stupidity  in  not  foreseeing 
some  such  thing  as  this  and  engage  a  boat  to  await  my  orders. ' ' 

The  thought  of  possible  discomforts  in  winter  time  did  not 
qrcur  to  him.  He  was  anxious  simply  to  capture  the  flying  crim- 
*nal ;  and  that  he  could  not  make  a  race  for  it  was  exasperating 
beyond  expression. 

"Mornin',  Mr.  Stokes,"  said  a  thick  voice  behind  him.  Stokes 
turned  and  saw  a  stocky,  good-humored  Esquimau  approaching, 
with  whom  he  had  been  on  fishing  excursions  earlier  in  his  stay 
at  Circle  City. 

"Hello,  Kotuk!"  he  responded,  with  some  appearance  of  inter- 
est.    ' '  Where  are  you  bound  ?' ' 

The  Esquimau  grinned,  put  one  fat  finger  to  his  eye,  and 
answered : 

"Kotuk  know.     Kotuk  say  nothing.     Saw  wood. " 

"You'll  get  caught  some  of  these  days,"  remarked  Stokes, 
severely,  who  understood  from  the  Esquimau's  words  that  he 
was  bound  upon  some  nefarious  expedition. 

"No,  no,"  the  Esquimau  responded,  gravely.  "Kotuk  sharp; 
too  sharp  for  everybody  'cept  Mr.  Stokes,  and  Kotuk  know  Mr. 
Stokes  no  chase  him.     Besides,  Kotuk's  kayak  very  swift — see?" 

"See  here,  Kotuk!"  cried  Stokes,  with  a  sudden  ray  of  hope, 
"I  reckon  I  do.     Where  is  your  kayak?" 

"Down  here,"  Kotuk  answeted,  jerking  his  thumb  toward  the 
other  side  of  the  wharf. 

"Is  she  already  to  go?" 

"Yah." 

"Got  provisions  on  board?" 

"Yah— heap." 

"Will  you  take  me  for  a  passenger  on  a  long  cruise?" 

'  *  You  no  want  sail,  Mr.  Stokes.  Cold,  very  cold — no  fun — much 
danger." 

"Nonsense,  Kotuk.  You  know  I  don't  care  for  cold  or  dan- 
ger." 

Stokes  had  seized  the  Esquimau  by  the  arm  and  wa^  hurrying 
him  along  the  wharf  in  the  direction  of  the  waiting  kayak. 

"Me  like  you  go,"  Kotuk  remarked.  ^    . 

"I'm  going  anyway,  whether  you  want  me  to  or  not,"  Stokes 
responded.  "Hustle  in  there.  You  haven't  anything  else  to  do, 
have  you?" 

"No.     You  hurry?" 

"You  bet,  Kotuk.     I  never  was  in  such  a  hurry  in  my  life." 

"Where  you  want  go?" 

"Straight  out  of  the  harbor  and  up  to  the  north." 


1 86 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


Stokes  was  already  in  the  kayak,  and  the  Esquimau  w£($  in  the 
act  of  casting  off. 

"Poor  place — fish,"  he  remarked. 

"Never  mind,  Kotuk,  There's  game  up  there  that  I  want  that's 
worth  all  the  fish  in  the  harbor. ' ' 

"All  right." 

Kotuk  was  evidently  perfectly  satisfied  to  take  any  course  that 
his  passenger  desired.  He  had  had  experience  enough  with 
Stokes  to  know  that  payment  was  sure  and  generous  for  anything 
that  the  detective  wanted. 

The  kayak  was  indeed  a  swift  boat.  It  was  fitted  with  a  wal- 
rus-skin sail  rigged  like  a  catboat  and  supplied  with  oars  and 
paddles  to  be  used  in  case  of  failing  wind. 

As  ii  set  now  the  wind  was  favorable  to  great  speed,  and  the 
little  craft  sped  out  of  the  harbor  as  gayly  as  if  it  were  midsum- 
mer and  the  passenger  were  bound  upon  a  pleasure  trip. 

Stokes  sat  amidships  with  his  back  to  Kotuk,  who  was  at  the 
tiller,  in  order  that  he  might  keep  his  eyes  constantly  forward 
for  the  first  sign  of  Ole's  sloop. 

He  was  by  no  means  certain  that  the  kayak  could  make  the 
headland  north  of  Circle  City  soon  enough  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the 
sloop. 

If  this  failed,  it  was  his  intention  to  take  Kotuk  into  his  con- 
fidence and  to  depend  upon  the  Esquimau's  advice  as  to  what 
course  to  pursue. 

"Kotuk  will  know,"  he  thought,  "better  than  I  what  land  Ole 
is  likely  to  make  for. '  * 

When  they  were  out  of  the  harbor,  Stokes  pointed  to  the  head- 
land and  told  Kotuk  to  make  for  a  point  two  or  three  miles  off 
the  shore.  This  would  enable  the  craft  to  get  across  Ole's  course 
and  so  shorten  the  distance  to  some  extent. 

Blue  spots  upon  the  water  to  the  north  indicated  the  presence 
of  islands,  and  there  were  other  islands  nearer  at  hand  that  pre- 
vented a  clear  view  in  that  direction. 

The  wind  held  steady,  and  when  at  last  they  came  north  of  the 
headland,  Stokes  had  recourse  to  a  small  spyglass  that  he  almost 
always  carried  with  him.  With  this  he  searched  the  horizon 
without  finding  the  slightest  trace  of  Ole's  sail. 

"There  is  one  thing  about  it, "  he  reflected,  "Ole  won't  ven- 
ture to  turn  to  the  south  veiy  soon,  for  that  would  bring  him  within 
sight  of  Circle  City,  and  he'll  probably  imagine  that  I  would  put 
after  him  in  a  steamboat. 

"Quite  likely  he  imagines  I  can  make  a  steamboat  off  hand  to 
pursue  him  in.  The  fact  of  his  starting  for  the  north  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  he  is  bound  to  continue  in  that  direction  for  a 
long  time," 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


187 


Reasoning  tbus,  Stokes  directed  Kotuk  to  head  the  kayak  for 
the  furthest  of  the  blue  islands.  The  Esquimau  promptly  com- 
plied, and  for  an  hour  or  so  the  journey  continued  without  a 
word  being  spoken  by  either  of  them. 

Then  Stokes,  who  was  beginning  to  feel  the  lack  of  sleep,  due 
to  his  being  up  all  the  night  before,  decided  that  it  would  be 
best  for  him  to  take  a  nap. 

"If  we  have  to  keep  up  this  chase  throught  he  night,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "I'd  rather  be  at  the  tiller  than  have  Kotuk  there.  I 
can  trust  his  eyes  in  the  daytime. "  So  aloud  he  said: 

"Kotuk,  I'm  after  some  one  who  went  a-Aray  from  Ciicle  City 
this  morning  in  a  sloop." 

"I  know,"  Kotuk  answered,  with  a  grin. 

"You  know?" 

"Yah." 

"What?" 

"I  know  two  Esquimaux — same  me — go  oflt  this  morning." 

"Where  did  they  go?" 

Kotuk  shook  his  head. 

"Tell  me  if  you  know,  Kotuk,"  mged  Stokes. 

"Don't  know,"  was  the  response. 

* '  But  you  have  an  idea. ' ' 

"Yah." 

"Tell  me  about  it." 

"Me  know  not  much.  Very   early — sun  not  up — v'hite  girl 

come  to  Kotuk's  cabin.  White  girl  want  some  boats — he  hear  of 

Kotuk's  kayak— want  to  hire  it — pay  much  money." 

' '  I  know  who  that  girl  was, ' '  said  Stokes  when  the  Esquimau 
paused. 

"Yah,  very  like." 

"Well?"  , 

"Kotuk  want  to  make  money,  same  other  men.  Kotuk  show 
girl  kayak — girl  shake  head — no  good.  " 

"Who,  the  girl?" 

"No — girl  all  right.  Much  disappoint — she  say  kayak  no 
good. ' ' 

"The  kayak  is  all  right,"  said  Stokes.     "What  did  she  think 
was  the  matter  with  it?" 
'  *  She  say  too  small. ' ' 
"Oh,  yes,  I  see!" 
"You  see?" 

"Yes,  Kotuk.     She  wanted  a  Doat  big  enough  for  two  passen- 
gers and   for  provisions  for  a  long  voyage,  I  reckon." 
"Yah.     She  say  something  like  that." 
"Well,  she  went  away  then,  did  she?" 


1 88 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


"She  go  find  two  friends — I  tell  her  who  they  are — she  give 
me  dollai  for  telling — she  take  their  boat. 

"I  ask  them  where  they  go  —they  say  don't  know — I  ask  again 
— they  say  don't  know.     So  Kotuk  think. 

' '  Kotuk  keep  right  on  making  kayak  ready  for  sail — bimeby 
Kotuk  say  to  friends — you  thirsty  ? — friends  say  yah — Kotuk 
take  them  to  saloon — Kotuk  set  'em  up— you  see?" 

' '  I  think  I  do, "  Stokes  answered,  with  a  laugh. 

"Yah,  Kotuk  set  'em  twice.  All  same  girl's  dollar  most  gone 
— no  matter.  Kotuk  ask  bimeby  where  they  going — they  feel 
good — they  say — North  Cape." 

"Whew!"  whistled  Stokes,  "that's  a  long  way  off.  Two  or 
three  thousand  miles,  isn't  it?" 

"They  mean  headland — all  same  back  there,"  he  answered, 
jerking  his  thumb  in  the  direction  of  the  cliff  where  Stokes  had 
had  his  adventure. 

"Oh,  did  they  say  where  they  would  go  after  that?" 

"They  say  they  wait  orders  there — take  man  and  girl — go 
north — where,  they  know  not — to  put  man  and  girl  on  land  some- 
where. ' ' 

' '  Where  do  you  think  that  will  be,  Kotuk  ?" 

"Don't  know." 

' '  Of  course  not,  but  where  do  you  think  ?" 

"Me  think  Yedvik." 

"How  far  away  is  Yedivk?" 

*  *  No  know ;  say — wind  same  like  this— six  days. ' ' 

Stokes  looked  again  toward  the  north;  not  a  sign  of  Ole's  sail 
anywhere. 

' '  Kotuk, ' '  he  said  presently,  "is  there  any  other  place  but  that 
one  that  they  are  likely  to  go  to?" 

The  Esquimau  shook  his  head. 

"Harbor  at  Yedvik,"  he  said.  "Sometimes  big  boats  stop 
there — nowhere  else  near  here. " 

"That  seems  to^settle  It,  then,"  thought  Stokes.  "That's  in 
line  with  my  theory.  They  will  make  for  Yedvik,  where  Ole 
will  hope  to  get  on  to  some  passing  whaler  or  poacher.  It's  a 
kind  of  blind  chase,  but  I'm  going  to  try  it." 

"Kotuk, "  he  asked,  "is  your  kayak  as  swift  as  your  friend's 
sloop  ?' ' 

The  Esquimau  was  a  long  time  in  answering,  but  he  finally 
grinned  and  said : 

"Think  so." 

"What  are  you  smiling  at?"  asked  Stokes. 

"Me  think  you  take  long  journey." 


'Yes.  but  I'll  pay  my  passage. 

'  Yah !  but  very  hard — very  cold — storms  perhaps. 


»» 


SAIWNO  IN  A  KAYAK. 


X89 


"I'll  risk  that." 

"Then  I  laugh  for  good  reason." 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"If  Ole  come  Yedvik,  he  wait  there  for  boat*— >perhaps  kayak 
get  there  before  other  boat — then  you  catch  Ole. ' ' 

"Yes,"  retotted  Stokes,  "and  perhaps  Ole  will  have  the  luck  to 
find  a  boat  at  Yedvik  just  leady  to  start  away." 

The  Esquimau  nodded. 

"Perhaps,"  he  said,  indifferently. 

"Well,  there's  nothing  to  do  but  sail  on  now,"  continued 
Stokes,  "and  I'm  going  to  take  a  snooze.  You  keep  your  eyes 
open  and  let  me  know  if  vou  see  anything. ' ' 

The  detective  thereupon  lay  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
covered  himself  with  a  blanket,  and  in  half  a  minute  was  sound 
asleep. 

Some  hours  later,  although  it  seemed  but  a  minute,  Kotuk 
reached  over  and  shook  him. 

"Mr.  Stokes,"  he  said,  with  a  slight  sign  of  eagerness. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  asked  Stokes,  sitting  up. 

Kotuk  pointed  to  the  far  horizon. 

Stokes  looked,  but  could  see  nothing. 

"Glass,"  sai<l  the  Esquimau. 

Stokes  promptly  picked  up  his  spyglass  and  looked  again.  By 
the  aid  of  the  glass  he  saw  the  upper  part  of  a  sail  just  above  the 
horizon  miles  away. 

"Is  that  Ole's  sloop?"  he  asked. 

"Think  so,"  was  the  reply. 

It  was  then  nearly  sundown,  and  from  that  time  until  oark 
Stokes  sat  with  his  eye  at  the  glass,  viewing  the  di.stant  sail. 

When  night  came  and  he  could  no  longer  see  he  took  Kotuk 's 
place  at  the  tiller,  and  the  Esquimau,  after  having  set  out  .some 
of  the  provisions  with  which  the  boat  was  supplied,  took  his  turn 
at  sleeping. 

AH  through  the  night  Stokes  held  the  tiller,  and  steering  by 
compass  kept  the  craft  pointed  in  the  direction  in  which  the  sail 
had  been  seen. 

In  the  morning  it  was  found  that  the  sail  had  disappeared,  and 
the  most  patient  search  failed  to  give  any  trace  of  it. 

Morning  here  does  not  mean  exactly  what  the  word  usually 
does.  It  was  the  season  when  the  days  are  short,  and  Stokes  was 
so  far  to  the  north  that  the  time  of  actual  sunlight  each  day  was 
very  brief. 

Long  before  sunrise,  however,  the  sea  was  light  enough  for  him 
to  observe  objects  upon  it  almost  as  clearly  as  if  it  were  noon. 

Kotuk  had  waked  up  long  before  sunrise  and  again  had  taken 
bis  place  at  the  tiller. 


190 


SAIUNG  IN  A  KAYAK. 


The  wind  held  favorably  for  rapid  progress,  and  so  for  many 
hours  more  they  journeyed  on,  and  the  second  day  closed  with 
no  other  sign  of  the  fugitive  sloop. 

Stokes  and  the  Esquimau  took  turns  in  resting  and  steering 
the  craft. 

About  the  middle  of  the  third  day  Stokes  remarked  a  long  line 
of  blue  on  the  northern  horizon. 

"That  must  be  a  pretty  big  island,"  he  said. 

Kotuk  shook  his  head. 

"Mainland,"  he  responded. 

"It  can't  be  that  Yedvik  lies  there." 

"Not  this  side." 

"What  do  you  mean,  then?" 

"Kotuk  has  idee,"  the  Esquimau  remarked,  gravely. 

"Out  with  it,"  said  Stokes. 

"That  land,"  Kotuk  then  responded,  "all  same  like  arm, 
reach  out  into  water. " 

"It's  a  peninsula,  is  it?" 

"Yah!  long  word;  all  same  long  land — reach  out  into  water — 
Yedvik  on  north  side. ' ' 

"Well,  then,  to  get  to  Yedvik  we've  got  to  go  around  that 
^^oint  of  land,  haven't  we?" 

"Yah!" 
'    "Then  why  don't  we  change  our  course?" 

"Because  Kotuk  has  idee  that  we  get  to  Yedvik  quicker  by 
crossing  land." 

"Ah!  that's  a  scheme.     Give  us  more  of  your  ideas. " 

"Well,  on  this  side — straight  ahead — I  think  small  Esquimau 
village,  called  Deft. 

' '  No  big  boats  go  to  Deft.  We  land  there — get  sled  and  dogs — 
wross  land  to  Yedvik — and  if  good  luck  we  get  there  long  before 
Ole." 

"You're  a  good  one!"  cried  Stokes.  "We'll  try  just  that 
scheme,  for  the  chances  are  that  this  good  weather  won't  hold 
out  much  longer. " 

"No,"  Kotuk  said,  gravely;  "wind  turn  to-day." 

The  wind  did  turn  that  day  with  a  vengeance.  They  were  yet 
many  miles  from  Deft — too  far  away  to  distinguish  the  hutsupca 
the  shore — when  the  water  became  very  rough  and  the  wind  blew 
almost  directly  from  the  notth. 

V  Both  men  were  drenched  with  cold  spray,  and  it  required  all 
their  exertions  to  keep  their  little  craft  upright. 

The  sail  of  course  had  to  be  taken  in.  Stpkes  took  the  oars 
and  worked  at  them  with  might  and  main,  not  only  in  order  that 
the  boat  might  make  progress,  but  so  that  his  blood  should  be 
kept  in  circulation.     It  was  the  only  possible  way  to  keep  warm. 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


»9I 


Kotuk,  more  accustomed  to  this  sort  of  experience,  remained 
in  the  stern  of  the  boat  steering  and  working  with  the  paddle. 

Now  and  again  as  the  waves  rose  higher  bucketfuls  of  water 
came  on  board,  and  one  or  both  men  would  have  to  stop  fox  a 
moment  to  bail  it  out.         .  i  : 

"It  would  only  take  a  little  larger  wave  than  that,"  remarked 
Stokes  on  one  of  these  occasions,  ' '  to  swamp  us  completely. ' ' 

The  Esquimau  shook  his  head. 

"Kayak  no  sink — you  no  fear." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  afraid,"  Stokes  responded.  "Cold  as  it  is,  I 
think  I  could  swim  from  here  to  the  shore. ' ' 

"Kayak  all  right,"  insisted  Kotuk,  who  was  paddling  for  all 
he  was  worth,     "Air  plf.ce  both  ends — float  bottom  up." 

With  a  quick  gesture  he  indicated  the  ends  of  the  little  boat, 
which  were  covered  over  vvith  walrus  skin,  so  closely  sewed  and 
glued  that  they  made  a  watertight  compartment  both  at  the  prow 
and  the  stem. 

It  was  perfectly  evident  from  this  that  the  kayak  could  not  be 
made  to  sink  unless  those  coverings  of  skin  should  be  punc- 
tured. 

If  the  boat  was  capsized,  therefore,  it  would  be  possible  for 
both  men  to  cling  to  it,  and  unless  they  should  freeze,  survive 
until  it  should  be  cast  up  on  shore. 

As  they  forced  the  kayak  slowly  but  steadily  in  the  teeth  of 
the  wind  the  cliffs  of  the  shore  prevented  the  storm  from  exercis- 
ing its  great  violence  upon  them — that  is,  the  wind  was  broken 
by  the  hills  there,  so  that  the  further  they  went  the  less  difficult 
became  their  task. 

This  does  not  mean  that  it  became  easy  to  push  the  kayak 
along. 

On  the  contrary,  the  work  still  required  all  the  muscle  and 
nerve  the  men  possessed. 

The  fact  that  they  did  not  feel  the  force  of  the  wind  in  their 
faces  so  much  was  a  relief,  but  it  made  no  apparent  difference  in 
the  height  of  the  waves. 

As  the  boat  slowly  approached  the  shore  and  the  water  became 
shallower  the  waves  became  rougher. 

There  was  still  enough  direct  wind  to  keep  a  cloud  of  spray  in 
their  faces  almost  all  the  time. 

Stokes  could  not  see  the  foam  from  a  line  of  breakers  just 
ahead,  although  he  could  hear  the  crashing  and  booming  of  the 
waves  distinctly. 

"We  mustn't  get  capsized  by  a  roller,  Kotuk,"  he  called. 
* '  We  try,  but  no  can  tell, ' '  the  Esquimau  responded,  desperately. 
Seen  through  the  flying  spray,  the  real  shore  seemed  far' away, 
but  the  sound  of  breakers  was  perilously  near,  .tr.^ 


19^ 


SAILING  IN  A  KAYAK. 


"Isn't  here  a  broad  beach  here  at  low  tide?"  Stokes  demanded, 
trying  in  vain  to  peer  ahead  for  signs  of  danger. 

"Yah,  very  wide.     Water  long  way  from  shore  at  low  tide." 

"Then  if  we  get  capsized  in  crossing  the  line  of  rollers  we'll 
have  a  hard  tussle  of  it." 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  Stokes  mouth  before  the  boat 
rose  as  if  it  had  been  lifted. 

A  huge  wave  was  curling  up  to  break. 

It  tossed  the  kayak  forward  rapidly. 

Both  men  held  their  paddlec  in  the  foaming  water  ready  to 
work  them  in  either  direction  according  to  need. 

There  was  just  an  instant  of  hesitation  while  the  kayak  seemed 
to  be  suspended  in  air. 

Then  the  wave  slipped  from  under  it  with  a  deafening  roar, 
tons  of  water  leaped  into  the  air  in  the  the  form  of  spray,  and 
the  kayak  dropped  like  a  shot. 

It  struck  directly  in  the  middle  u];>on  a  rock  and  broke  in 
two. 

The  men  were  washed  on,  and  for  the  moment  they  lost  sight 
of  each  other. 

Stokes  laid  hold  of  the  half  of  the  kayak  in  which  he  was  sit- 
ting. 

The  air  tight  end  served  him  as  a  life  preserver. 

Clinging  to  it,  he  was  rushed  along  by  the  water  until  his  feet 
touched  bottom. 

Then,  dragging  the  wreck  after  him,  he  plowed  through  the 
receding  wave  until  he  was  beyond  the  danger  line. 

Immediately  after  this  he  overtook  Kotuk,  who  had  saved  him- 
self in  precisely  the  same  way. 

"Save  ourselves  and  our  food,  too,"  remarked  the  Esquimau, 
with  his  mouth  half  full  of  salt  water. 

Fearful  that  another  wave  might  overtake  and  carry  them  back 
to  sea,  they  waded  on  until   they  came  to  dry  land. 

The  sun  had  been  down  a  long  time,  but  it  was  still  very  light. 

Just  before  them  were  the  huts  of  Deft. 

All  the  inhabitants  of  that  little  village  turned  out  to  welcome 
them,  and  made  things  as  pleasant  for  Stokes  as  is  the  manner  of 
the  hospitable  Esquimaux. 

Stokes  was  anxious  to  engage  sled  and  dogs  to  continue  the 
journey  at  once,  but  the  Esquimaux  advised  strongly  against  it. 
They  told  him  it  would  be  folly  to  start  while  the  wind  was  so 
high,  and  he  was  wise  enough  to  follow  their  advicer 


THB  BATTI.S  WITH  WOLVBS. 


Z93 


feet 

th   the 

him- 

imau, 

back 

light. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
THB  BATTLE  WITH  WOLVES. 

"Plenty  of  time,"  said  Kotuk,  quietly.  "Oie  no  go  tast  in 
this  wind — when  weather  good  we  cross  arm  of  land  very  quick 
— dogs  beat  sloop." 

"I  reckon  you're  right,  Kotuk,"  Stokes  responded,  philof^oph- 
ically  accepting  the  situation,  although  he  was  not  easily  content 
to  pass  any  time  in  idleness. 

The  Esquimaux  entertained  them  with  cheerful  friendliness, 
but  Stokes  noticed  that  there  was  not  as  generous  a  supply  of 
food  set  forth  as  was  the  case  when  he  passed  a  night  among  the 
people  of  this  race  at  Vilnak. 

T^e  chief  man  of  the  settlement  explained  this  to  him  during 
the  evening. 

"Bad  winter,"  he  said,  gravely;  "animals,  birds,  everything 
except  Esquimau,  go  awav. " 

He  shook  hig  head  solemnly,  and  it  was  plain  that  he  was 
greatly  troubled. 

"Do  you  mean,"  asked  Stokes,  "that  the  signs  foretell  worse 
weather  than  usual?" 

"Much." 

"That  you  have  not  been  able  to  put  in  the  usual  winter  pro- 
visions?" 
♦Yah." 

"You  can  always  catch  fish,  can't  you?" 

The  Esquimau  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  waved  his  hands  in 
the  direction  of  the  sea. 

"Biraeby  ice — ice  everywhere — perhaps  find  seal,  walrus,  or 
fish — perhaps  not — Esquimau  watch  hole  in  ice  many  days  some- 
times and  catch  nothing." 

During  the  evening  there  was  further  tP.lk  of  this  sort  to  show 
that  the  Esquimaux  were  having  hard  times  of  every  kind,  and 
that  they  were  alarmed  lest  they  should  die  of  starvation  before 
the  nent  spring. 

Stokes  felt  very  sorry  for  them.  He  reflected  sadly  that  while 
he  would  like  to  be  generous  and  to  pay  them  a  great  sum  of 


194 


THE  BATTLE  WITH  WOLVES. 


money  for  the  use  of  their  dogs,  and  for  every  other  aid  given  to 
him,  money  could  be  of  no  service  to  these  people. 

There  was  no  way  in  which  they  could  spend  it  for  their  com- 
fort during  the  approaching  season,  when  they  would  be  cut  off 
from  communication  with  the  civilized  world. 

He  took  pains  nevertheless  to  leave  with  them  a  large  amount 
of  money,  so  that  if  any  accident  should  occur  by  which  they 
could  make  use  of  it  they  would  be  able  to  do  so. 

The  detective  found  that  a  night  on  shore  was  really  needful 
to  him;  such  sleep  as  he  had  gotten  while  in  the  kayak  had  not 
been  regular  or  very  restful.  He  slept,  therefoie,  many  hours, 
and  found  all  the  Esquimaux  stirring. when  he  at  last  awoke. 

The  storm  had  gone  down,  Kotuk,  sure  that  Stokes  would 
wish  to  make  a  start  as  soon  as  possible,  had  a  big  team  of  dogs 
and  a  large  sled  ready  for  the  journey.  The  start  was  made  at 
once. 

So  far  as  the  light  was  concerned  it  was  still  night,  for  the 
sun  had  not  yet  had  time  to  rise  upon  this  far  northern  land. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  journey  prog'-ess  was  not  rapid,  for 
the  way  lay  along  a  winding  trail  that  brought  them  at  last  to  a 
summit  of  the  hills  that  marked  off  that  part  of  the  coast. 

The  trail  was  not  plain,  but  Kotuk  had  been  over  the  ground 
once  before  and  had  no  doubt  of  his  ability  to  find  the  way. 

He  had  only  a  vague  idea  of  how  v  iny  miles  lay  between  them 
and  Yedvik,  but  he  was  certain  that  liis  village  was  a  little  to 
the  west  of  the  north,  and  with  good  luck  they  could  arrive  there 
by  night. 

"That's  not  saying  much,"  remarked  Stokes,  "for  it  atilkes 
me  that  it's  night  most  of  the  time  up  here-" 

"Yah,"  Kotuk  answered,  calmly.  "But  night  means  bedtime 
—hey?" 

"Reckon  it  does." 

The  dogs  were  now  speeding  rapidly  across  comparatively 
level  ground.  The  sky  was  clear,  and  the  stars  gave  sufficient 
light  to  see  the  larger  objects  upon  the  landscape. 

Some  distance  to  the  west  there  was  a  dark  line  that  appeared 
to  be  the  edge  of  a  forest. 

Nearer  at  hand  were  occasional  stumps  and  trees,  and  all 
around  were  huge  bowlders.  To  avoid  these  it  was  necessary  to 
take  a  crooked  course,  and  Kotuk  willingly  made  use  of  the 
detective's  compass  in  order  to  be  certain  that  they  did  not  get 
far  from  the  proper  line. 

After  they  had  been  proceeding  thus  for  two  or  three  hours  the 
stars  faded  out  of  sight  and  the  atmosphere  became  as  ibright  as 
day,  but  yet  there  was  no  sign  of  the  sun.  ^' '  *  '^  ■ 

■y-.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until  nearly  noon  that  the  sun  shotv^  itself 


THE  BATTLE  WITH  WOLVES. 


195 


n  to 

com- 
Lt  off 

aount 
they 

serlful 
d  not 
bours, 
e. 

would 
■  dogs 
■ide  at 

for  the 
id. 

lid,  for 
St  to  a 

ground 

n  them 
ittle  to 
re  there 

;  atvlkes 

jedtime 


ratively 
ufficient 

ppeared 

and  all 
issary  to 
of  the 
not  get 

lours  the 
jright  as 

reditseili 


for  a  short  time,    lying  very   close  to  the  horizon  far  to   the 
south. 

Not  long  arter  noon  the  sun  disappeared  again,  nnd  then  for 
several  hours  there  was  light  enough  to  read  by  if  eitner  of  the 
travelers  had  carerf  to  do  so. 

It  was  like  a  long,  long  evening  in  summer,  except  that  the  air 
was  fearfully  cold. 

Both  men  of  course  were  bundled  heavily  in  fur*^,  and  when  it 
was  not  necessary  to  look  ahead  sharply  they  had  their  faces  cov- 
ered completely  with  a  cloth  tippet. 

"I  wish  I  had  a  thermometer  with  me,"  Stokes  remarket  jn 
one  occasion. 

"Why?"  asked  Kotuk. 

"I'd  like  to  know  how  cold  it  is." 

••Cold  enough,  isn't  it?" 

•'Yes,  thanks,  '  I'd  lik^  to  tell  my  fri^'inds  if  1  ever  se*-  them 
again  just  how  cold  it  was  di.ring  this  trip." 

•*I  gUfc.-,,"  said  Kotuk  after  a  moment. 

"Guess  what?" 

"Fifty  degrees." 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  think  that  it  is  fifty  degrees  below 
zero?" 

••Yah— 'bout." 

Stokes  noticed  how  the  breath  of  the  dogs  rushed  in  thick 
white  clouds  fiom  their  mouths  and  seemed  to  freeze  instantly. 

When   they  started  the  dogs  were  of  a  dark- brown  color;  now 
they  were  a  glistening  white  from  nose  to  tail.    This  was  due  to 
the  moisture  in  their  breath  freezing  as  it  fell  upon  their  bodies. 
"I  reckon  Kotuk's  about  right,"  Stokes  said  to  himself. 

Gradually  the  darkness  of  night  came  on  again,  although  it 
was  not  yet  late  in  the  afternoon. 

Suddenly  Kotuk   gave  a  grunt  of  alatm  and  applied  the  lash 
viciously  to  the  leading  dogs.     At  the  same  time  the  dogs  them- 
selves strained  harder  at  their  harness   and  leaped  forward  with, 
little  yells  that   indicated  unusual  excitement. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Stokes. 

•'You  no  hear?"  returned  Kotuk. 

•'I  haven't  heard  anything  but  the  tramping  of  the  dogs  and 
the  slipping  of  the  sled  on  the  snow  for  hours.'' 

"Ugh !  Your  ears  no  sharp. "  , 

"Perhaps  not.     But  what  is  it?" 

Kotuk  again  lashed  the  dogs  and  then  turned  his  head  and 
looked  back. 

"You  pray?"  he  inquired,  significantly. 

••Certainly,"  answered  Stokes;  "but  if  I  was  going  to  pray 
now  I  thjnk  it  would  be  for  a  hot  potato  and  a  cup  of  coSee." 


♦196 


THE  BATTLE  WITH  WOLVES. 


"No  joke,"  said  the  Esquimau,  solemnly.     "Wolvea!" 
"Wolves,  hey?" 

"Yah!     Listen!"  • 

Ever  since  they  had  left  the  summit  of  the  hills  back  of  Deft 
they  had  seen  no  sign  of  life  besides  themselv^  and  their  dogs. 

It  was  as  the  old  man  said — animals  and  birds  had  deserted 
that  part  of  the  country. 

Stokes  listened,  and  several  anxious  seconds  passed  before  he 
could  distinguish  anything  beyond  the  noise  made  by  the  sled 
and  dogs.    Then  he  heard  a  faint  note,  as  if  some  one  along  way 
off  was  playing  a  horn. 
"I  hear  it!"  he  said. 
"Yah!"  Kotuk  responded.    "Wolves." 

He  bent  forward  as  he  spoke,  as  if  to  make  his  body  as  small 
IS  possible,  so  that  there  would  be  less  for  the  dogs  to  drag. 

Stokes  pulled  the  tippet  from  his  face  and  freed  his  arms  from 
the  mass  of  furs  which  had  been  packed  upon  them. 

"We'll  make  a  fight  for  it,  anyway,"  he  remarked,  coolly. 
"Yah — j-ou  brave,"  answered  Kotuk.    "But  no  hurry — wolves 
no  catch  us  for  a  long  time  yet. " 
,  "Might  as  well  be  ready  for  them,  though." 
'"Yah.     They  run  very  fast. " 
.f"How  far  away  should  you  think  Yedvik  is  now?" 
"No  can  tell — one  hour,  maybe — maybe  three." 
"One  hour  is  a  long  time, "  thought  Stokes. 
Again  he  heard  the  distant  baying  of  the  wolves,  and  this  time 
the  sound  was  louder.    It  was  no  longer  a  faint  musical  note,  but 
a  distinct,  harsh  howl. 

"They're  out  for  business,  and  no  mistake,"  Stokes  said  to 
himself. 

It  was  now  as  dark  as  midnight,  and  when  he  turned  to  look 
back  over  the  long  stretch  of  whitened  plain  that  they  were  cross- 
ing he  could  not  distinguish  any  moving  object.  Nevertheless,  it 
was  clea;-  enough  that  the  wolves  were  gaining  upon  them,  for 
the  sound  of  their  howling  came  steadily  nearer  and  nearer. 

There  was  no  telling  but  that  they  might  spring  from  the  dark- 
ness at  any  moment. 

Stokes  had  his  revolvers  ready,  and  in  order  to  make  a  better 
fight  of  it  he  turned  his  back  to  the  dogs  and  knelt  upon  the  sled 
so  as  to  get  a  good  shot  at  the  first  comers. 

The  dogs  needed  no  cracking  of  the  whip  tc  make  them  exert 
all  their  strength  and  swiftness.  They  knew  as  well  as  Kotuk  did 
what  that  dismal  howling  meant 

They  felt  that  once  the  wol"e8  should  overtake  them  there 
would  be  short  work  of  turning  the  entire  part;^  l^cn,  PW4  ^9fP> 
into  a  heap  of  bonee. ..  ~  ^.oa  ?l7^v4  xiiill^^ 


THE  BATTI^E  WITH  WOIyVES. 


197 


Im   exert 
lotuk  did 


Never  in  his  life  had  Stokes  found  the  minutes  so  long  or  so 
fearfully  weighted  with  anxiety.  If  only  it  had  been  daylight,  so 
that  he  could  see  the  pursuers! 

He  strained  his  eyes  persistently,  but  caught  no  sight  of  the 
savage  beasts,  whose  howls  became  louder  and  louder.  It  was 
evident  that  a  big  pack  was  in  pursuit. 

"They'll  be  worse  than  human  beings,"  he  thought,  "for  the 
reason  that  every  one  of  them  will  have  to  be  killed  off  before 
Ave're  safe.  If  it  was  a  crowd  of  savage  men,  now,  there  would  be 
some  chance  of  scaring  them  by  dropping  one  or  two  of  their 
number. 

"The  probability  is  that  these  beasts  won't  take  any  fear  from 
pistol  shots,  and  Yiill  pursue  as  long  as  any  one  of  them  has  life 
inhim.»'-:~^-^  ^^^  ^^^^ 

In  this  Stokc»  was  reckoning  without  complete  knowledge  of 
wolves. 

He  was  right  In  the  sense  that  nothing  will  stay  a  hungry  wolf 
from  attempting  to  get  food,  but  he  did  not  know  that  the  wolf 
ia  not  so  particular  as  to  what  kind  of  food  he  eats. 

Presently,  after  they  had  been  following  this  fearful  race  for 
probably  a  half  hour,  Stokes  thought  he  could  distinguish 
vaguely  some  wavering  objects. 

He  feared  at  first  that  this  might  be  due  to  the  motion  of  the 
sled,  which  would  make  him  mistake  rocks  or  hummocks  for 
wolves. 

He  had  plenty  of  ammunition,  but  yet  he  was  determined 
not  to  waste  a  single  shot,  for  if  it  came  to  a  close  encounter  all 
his  chances  might  be  lost  in  the  time  it  would  take  him  to  load 
his  weapon;  so  he  raised  his  arm  and  waited  a  minute  until  in . 
the  gleam  he  could  be  certain  that  those  waving  objects  were  ani- 
mals and  not  lifeless  things — then  he  fired. 

A  fierce  snarl,  almost  like  the  shriek  of  a  human  being,  told 
him  that  his  shot  had  taken  effect.  This  sound  was  followed 
instantly  by  a  chorus  of  howls  that  added  new  teiror  to  the  dogs 
and  the  Esquimau  driver.     Kotuk  gave  vent  to  a  grunt. 

"There  must  be  hundreds  of  them,"  hz  muttered. 

Stokes  kept  his  eyes  upon  the  ground  at  the  back.  He  could 
see  absolutely  nothing  except  a  few  rods  of  level  snow.  There 
were  no  longer  any  wa^'ing  objects. 

"Is  it  possible,"  he  thought,  "that  they  have  been  scared  and 
btought  to  a  halt  by  otiM  shot?" 

For  just  an  instant  it  seemed  as  if  this  was  the  case.  Then  the 
long  baying  began  again,  and  again  the  noise  grew  nearer. 

Later  there  was  another  sight  of  waving  objects,  toward  which 
Stokes  directeu  a  second  shot.  This  was  followed,  as  before,  by 
wilder  howls  end  a  momentary  disappearance  of  the  enemy. 


198 


THE  BATTLE  WITK  WOLVES. 


"If  we  can  keep  this  sort  of  thing  up,"  Stokes  said  to  him- 
self, "we  shall  beat  the  demons,  ptovided  only  that  Yedvik  is 
somewhere  within  reach." 

The  detective  emptied  one  of  his  revolvers  in  this  way,  .firing 
at  intervals,  and  each  time  apparently  checking  the  rush  of  the 
pursuing  pack. 

As  he  paused  to  reload  his  weapon,  an  operation  that  took  but 
a  second,  he  saw  the  real  meaning  of  the  situation. 

The  wolves  were  coming  steadily  nearer  in  spite  of  every  skil- 
ful shot.     Now  he  could  see  their  leaping  forms  distinctly. 

He  picked  the  two  leaders  in  the  pack  and  fired  twice  in  rapid 
succession.  Both  wolves  aimed  at  juruped  into  the  air  and  rolled 
over  upon  their  backs  instantly.  The  others  just  behind  them 
sprung  upon  the  fallen  wolves  and  tore  the  flesh  from  their  bones 
savagely.    That  explained  it. 

Every  wolf  that  Stokes  had  killed  had  become  food  for  those 
nearest  it,  and  this  had  accounted  for  the  slight  pauses  in  the 
pursuit. 

The  trouble  was  that  the  pack  was  so  numerous  that  only  a  few 
could  get  any  advantage  from  their  fallen  comrades,  and  those 
who  stopped  for  a  mouthful  and  failed  to  get  one  iiumediately 
rushed  on  after  the  flying  sled  and  dogs. 

Seeing  that  this  was  the  fiendish  character  of  the  wolves,  Stokes 
fired  right  and  left,  with  a  view  of  killing  as  many  as  possible  at 
one  volley,  so  as  to  delay  the  whole  pack.  This  had  the  desired 
effect,  but  it  by  no  means  stopped  the  pursuit.  It  simply  gave 
him  time  to  reload  his  weapons  before  there  was  a  fresh  assault. 

Each  time  the  wolves  dashed  on  they  gained  a  little  on  the  sled 
until  at  last  they  were  distinctly  visible,  and  Stokes  had  to  keep 
up  a  rapid  firing  in  order  to  stay  their  progress  at  all. 

Kotuk  dropped  the  reins  and  whip  and  busied  himself  in*  and 
loading  the  detective's  weapons. 

Even  at  that  the  fierce  beasts  gained  upon  them,  and  one  fel- 
low, whom  Stokes  in  his  rapid  firing  had  overlooked,  got  so  far 
that  he  actually  tried  to  leap  upon  the  sled. 

Stokes'  revolver  at  that  instant  was  empty,  and  there  was  not 
even  time  to  reach  for  the  weapon  that  Kotuk  had  loaded.  He, 
therefore,  let  go  the  butt,  caught  the  revolver  by  its  hot  muzzle  and 
brought  the  handle  down  with  all  his  force  upon  the  wolf's  fore- 
head. 

The  beast  dropped  without  a  sound  and  landed  upon  the  after 
part  of  the  sled,  where  his  dead  body  lay  until  Stokes  reached 
ijack  and  pushed  it  off  to  serve  as  prey  for  his  companions. 

It  was  beginning  to  look  as  if,  in  spite  of  successful  shooting, 
the  savage  pack  would  overcome  the  travelers,  when  Kotuk  gave 
a  sudden  exclamation,  whether  of  alarm  or  relief  Stokea  could 


mn  MTTlyE  WITH  WOtVES. 


m 


him- 
vik  is 

.firing 
)£  the 

)k  but 

y  skil- 

a  rapid 
I  rolled 
I  them 
r  bones 

)r  those 
in  the 

ly  a  few 
d  those 
ediately 

1,  Stokes 
ssible  at 

desired 
ply  gave 
issault. 

the  sled 
to   keep 

E  in*  and 

one   fel- 
lot  so   far 

■was  not 
ed.  He, 
uzzle  and 
If '3  fore- 

the  after 
reached 

ons. 

shooting, 
tuk  gave 
es  could 


not  make  out,  dropped  the  revolver  he  was  loading,  and  turned 
his  attention  again  to  the  dogs. 

They  were  on  a  down  grade  now,  and  the  sled  was  going  at 
terrific  speed.  It  was  gaining,  too,  and  was  catching  the  heels  of 
the  dogs  nearest  to  it  and  tripping  them  up. 

Kotuk  made  a  vain  eflFort  to  guide  the  dogs  to  one  side  in 
order  that  they  might  not  be  overcome  by  the  rushing  sled. 

Stokes  saw  what  the  situation  meant.  The  sled  would  gain  in 
speed  as  long  as  the  down  grade  continued,  would  either  upset 
the  dogs  or  pass  them  and  drag  them  after  it,  and  at  the  end, 
wherever  that  might  be,  all  would  be  in  a  heap  and  at  the  mercy 
of  their  savage  pursuers. 

It  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  be  possible  to  cut  the  harness 
and  let  the  sled  go.  In  this  way  the  dogs  would  be  sacrificed  to 
the  wolves,  who  might  be  satisfied  then  and  give  the  men  a 
chance  to  escape  on  foot. 

It  was  necessary  for  himself  to  keep  on  firing  at  the  pack. 

"Cut  the  harness,  Kotuk!"  he  called.  But  Kotuk  clung  to  the 
sled  and  made  no  effort  to  obey. 

A  second  later  Stokes  observed  that  the  wolves  were  unable  to 
keep  pace  with  the  sled,  which  had  already  slewed  past  half  the 
team  of  dogs. 

It  was  going  so  fast  and  with  such  a  jolting  motion  that  he 
could  not  remain  upon  his  knees.  There  was  nothing  for  it, 
therefore,  but  that  he  should  crouch  upon  the  bottom  of  the  sled 
and  take  his  chances  just  as  Kotuk  was  doing. 

Down  they  went,  faster  than  any  toboggan  ever  known, 
through  the  darkness,  bounding  over  hummocks,  dragging  the 
yelping  and  whining  dogs  after  them,  both  men  nearly  shaken  ' 
from  their  places,  until,  with  a  jolt  that  seemed  to  make  every 
bone  in  his  body  start  from  its  fastenings,  Stokes  felt  the  speed 
suddenly  decrease. 

They  were  shooting  up  a  steep  rise,  and  before  the* sled  had 
half  lost  its  headway  it  came  to  a  stop  by  colliding  against  some- 
thing. 

Stokes  and  Kotuk  were  hurled  up  against  this  object  and  the 
dogs  came  piling  after  them. 

It  was  indeed  just  the  hopeless  heap  that  Stokes  had  foreseen, 
and  how  he  should  fight  the  wolves  now  was  a  question  that  in 
the  confusion  he  could  not  decide. 

As  he  struggled  to  get  on  his  feet  and  free  hirjself  from  the 
writhing  dogs  he  became  couvscious  of  two  things — first,  that  the 
wolves  were  not  behind,  and,  second,  that  there  were  loud  cries 
from  human  beings  followed  instantly  by  the  shots  of  rifles. 

Then  as  Stokes  and  Kotuk  stood  up,  ready  to  make  a  last  dee* 


aoo 


THE  BATTLE  WITH  WOLVES. 


perate  effort  to  save  their  lives,  they  saw  bj'  the  dim  starlight 
that  they  had  arrived  at  Yedvik. 

The  sled  had  run  full  tilt  into  the  largest  hut  in  the  village, 
and  the  entire  male  popultion  had  turned  out  to  fight  off  the 
oncoming  pack  of  wolves. 

The  Esquimaux  living  there  had  heard  the  baying  of  the  pack, 
as  well  as  Stokes'  repeated  shots,  and  were  therefore  ready  with 
all  the  weapons  they  commanded  not  only  to  defend  the  travelers 
but  themselves. 

Stokes'  work  with  his  reovlvers  had  been  so  effective  that  the 
Esqui'naux  had  little  to  do,  especially  as  the  wolves  at  last  took 
fright  in  the  presence  of  so  many  enemies.  ,> 

It  proved  that  Stokes'  dogs  were  not  seriously  Injured,  and 
though  the  sled  was  smashed,  that  was  of  small  consequence ; 
another  conid  be  procured  when  needed,  and  the  main  thing  was 
that  no  lives  had  been  lost. 

As  soon  as  the  excitement  of  the  battle  had  died  away  Stokes 
made  inquiries  that  satisfied  him  that  Ole  had  not  yet  turned  up 
at  Yedvik,  and  that  no  vessel  had  stopped  there  for  weeks. 

He  cautioned  Kotuk  not  to  say  much  about  the  object  of  their 
journey. 

"Let  them  know,"  he  said,  '  that  you  expect  a  boat  to  arrive, 
so  that  they  may  be  on  the  lookout  for  it.  Until  then  I'm  going 
to  try  to  take  things  easy  and  find  out  what  fun  there  is  in  living 
in  the  arctic  zone. ' ' 

Accordingly  Stokes  slept  that  night  as  peacefully  as  if  he  were 
in  a  city  hotel  with  nothing  to  do  but  enjoy  himself.    , 

Oa  the  following  day  the  sun  did  not  rise. 

StokM  was  now  in  the  land  of  long  midnight 


H,ga{35>=^ 


'Hb 


a^ 


KOTUK'S  PBRII,. 


aoz 


■■/i?-. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

KOTUK'S     PBRII,. 

» 

At  Yedvik,  as  at  Deft,  the  Esquimaux  told  serious  tales  of 
hard  times. 

The  eady  winter  weather  had  never  been  so  severe,  game  never 
so  scarce. 

"We're  better  off  than  some  others,"  said  one  of  the  Esqui- 
maux, "because  here  big  boat  sometimes  land  and  give  up  pro- 
visions for  the  skins ;  but  no  boat's  been  here  long  time — perhaps 
no  boat  come  all  winter,  and  hunters  go  out  for  a  week  and  tind 
nothing  to  kill." 

During  the  day  after  Stokes'  arrival  most  of  the  men  in  Yedvik 
were  taking  advantage  of  the  good  weather  to  fish,  for  there  was 
no  telling  when  the  water  thereabout  would  be  choked  with  ice. 

Stokes  fished  with  tbem,  and  thus  did  his  share  in  procuring 
their  food  supply. 

There  was  no  sign  of  a  boat  on  that  day  or  on  the  next ;  but 
on  the  third,  just  about  noon,  when,  although  no  sun  was  in 
sight,  there  was  light  enough  to  see  for  miles  away,  a  itail  was 
observed  in  the  northwest. 

Kotuk  stood  by  Stokes  when  this  was  observed. 

"May  not  be  Ole,"  h»  remarked.  "Let  me  take  glass.  I 
tell." 

Stokes  handed  the  glass  to  Kotuk,  who  looked  through  it  long 
and  earnestly. 

"Yah!"  he  said  at  length,  "that  my  friend  sloop." 

Stokes        'ed  as  he  thought  of  the  surprise  in  store  for  Ole. 

"I  don't  suppose  he'll  enjoy  it  very  much,"  the  young  fellow 
thought,  ' '  but  he  ought  to  find  some  satisfaction  in  seeing  a 
familiar  face  immediately  after  landing. 

"I'll  keep  out  of  sight  until  he's  on  shore." 

So  Stokes  went  to  one  of  the  huts  and  sat  within  watching  the 
approaching  sloop  from  the  doorway. 

It  came  nearer  and  nearer  and  at  last  the  hull  could  be  seen 
distinctly. 

About  that  time  the  little  vessel  came  about  as  if  the  crew  were 
preparing  to  cast  anchor,  and  Stokes  was  rejoicing  over  the  pros- 
pect of  soon  meeting  the  bi^  Swede  again. 


M2 


KOTUK'S  PBRIL. 


He  was  even  planning  how  he  should  make  the  capture  com- 
plete without  a  struggle,  for  he  had  no  doubt  that  Ole  would 
resist  and  do  his  best  to  kill  his  determined  pursuer. 

"He'll  be  so  paralyzed  with  astonishment,"  thought  Stokes, 
*'that  I  ought  not  to  have  any  difficulty  to  bring  him  to  terms. " 

The  detective  thought  he  knew  exactly  how  to  accomplish 
is,  when  the  sloop,  instead  of  coming  to  anchor,  put  about  and 
sailed  away  to  the  north. 

"What's  up  now,  Kotuk?"  Stokes  cried.  • 

The  Esquimau  was  standing  a  little  way  from  the  hut  looking 
at  the  departing  sloop. 

"Don't  know,"  he  answered  in  a  disappointed  tone.  "Don't 
come  here — that's  all." 

"I  should  think  that's  enough, "  Stokes  retorted.  "What's  the 
matter  with  them,  anyway?" 

"No  can  tell — Ole  no  come  Yedvik — that's  all." 

"It's  not  possible,  is  it,  that  he's  going  to  clear  out  of  here 
altogether?     Is  he  trying  to  find  a  better  anchorage?" 

"No,  he  could  anchor  there — water  so  deep  he  could  come  very 
close  shore — no,  go  somewhere  else — that's  all." 

Stokes  looked  with  bitter  wrath  at  the  disappearing  sloop. 
There  was  no  question  that  it  was  not  going  to  stop  at  Yedvik — 
it  was  going  as  fast  from  the  village  as  possible. 

All  the  Esquimaux  in  Yedvik  were  disappointed  at  the  failure 
of  the  sloop  to  stop  there. 

"No  other  boat  perhaps  all  winter,"  they  said. 

"You  wouldn't  have  got  any  good  out  of  that  boat,"  Stokes 
told  them. 

"Where  do  you  think  she's  going?" 

Bearing  in  mind  that  Ole's  one  chance  of  successful  flight  was 
in  getting  aboard  a  south-bound  vessel,  Stokes  asked  if  there 
was  any  port  to  the  north  where  such  a  vessel  might  stop. 

Yes,  they  told  him,  there  was  a  port — Zeglit  by  name.  It  was 
a  long  distance  away  and  there  was  less  chance  that  a  vessel 
would  put  in  there  than  at  Yedvik.  Still,  it  did  happen  some- 
times, and  it  looked  as  if  Zeglit  was  the  place  to  go  if  there  was 
still  any  hope  of  catching  the  Swede. 

Stokes  was  more  determined  than  ever  to  do  this,  but  the  ques- 
tion of  how  to  continue  the  pursuit  was  more  difficult  than 
before. 

There  was  no  boat  at  Yedvik  which  was  suitable  for  making 
the  long  journey  to  Zeglit.  The  way  by  land  would  be  round 
about  and  extremely  dangerous. 

Kotuk  had  never  been  over  tne  ground,  and  although  he  was 
willing  to  go  anywhere  with  Stokes,  he  could  not  speak  hope- 
fully ot  the  chance  of  making  the  journey  successfully. 


KOTUK'S  PERIL. 


303 


Stokes  asked  his  new  friends  if  any  of  them  would  act  as  a 
guide.     They  shook  their  heads — it  was  too  much  risk  for  them. 

Stokes  had  not  the  heart  to  urge  them  very  hard,  for  these 
people  had  a  severe  struggle  with  life  at  the  best  and  he  had  no 
wish  to  make  things  worse  for  them. 

Finally  the  leading  man  of  the  settlement  said: 

"I  tell  y(  u — we  think  long  time  go  off — great  hunt — ten  men 
go  out — hunt  for  moose,  bear,  anything. 

"You  go  with  hunters,  you  and  Kotuk — and  you  safe  with 
them. 

' '  They  show  you  most  of  the  way  to  Zeglit,  after  that  you  go 
on  to  Zeglit  alone  or  come  back — just  as  you  like." 

"Thanks.  Just  the  scheme!"  cried  Stokes,  highly  delighted. 
"When  will  your  party  start  out?" 

"Oh,  next  week,  perhaps." 

"Whew!     I  can't  wait  all  that  time.     Can't  you  start  now?" 

The  Esquimau  did  not  know  about  it.  They  are  not  very  quick 
thinkers  and  to  them  a  few  days  more  or  less  did  not  count. 

Stokes,  however,  now  that  he  saw  that  they  were  willing  to  go 
out  into  the  wilderness  of  snow,  had  no  hesitation  in  urging 
them  to  hurry  up  about  it ;  consequently  after  a  day  spent  in  pre- 
paration the  party  started. 

There  were  a  dozen  of  them,  all  told.  Nearly  all  of  the  dogs  in 
Yedvik,  as  well  as  those  brought  there  by  Stokes,  were  harnessed 
to  sleds,  of  which  there  were  enough  to  enable  all  the  men  to 
ride. 

There  was  to  b«  no  attempt  at  hunting  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Yedvik,  for  the  Esquimaux  knew  only  too  well  that  game  had 
deserted  that  locality. 

For  nearly  twelve  hours  the  party  journeyed  steadily,  pausing 
only  once  about  midday  for  rest  and  refreshments. 

At  night  or  as  they  themselves  more  correctly  put  it,  at  bed- 
time, for  it  was  always  night,  they  went  into  camp  near  the  shore 
of  a  little  lake. 

There  was  no  water  in  sight,  of  course,  for  ice  and  snow  cov- 
ered everything. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life  Stokes  watched  the  process  of 
building  a  snow  house. 

He  had  tried  his  own  hand  at  that  operation  in  earlier  days, 
as  every  boy  does  who  lives  in  a  ree;ion  where  winter  brings 
snow,  but  he  realized  speedily,  as  he  said  to  himself,  that  "the 
boys  aren't  in  it  with  the  northern  men." 

They  proceeded  as  scientifically,  if  not  as  correctly,  as  house 
builders  of  the  south.  More  than  that,  here  the  weather  is  so 
extremely  cold  that  it  is  possible  to  find  a  kind  of  snow  that 
pack!  like  solid  stone. 


ao4 


KOTUK'S  PERIL. 


For  fully  fifteen  minutes  after  the  party  halted  the  men  went 
about  prodding  the  snow  here  and  there  until  they  found  exactly 
the  kind  they  wanted. 

Then  while  some  built  a  fire  and  prepared  supper,  the  others 
cut  the  blocks  of  snow  and  stacked  them  up  until  a  shelter  had 
been  made  where  the  night  could  be  passed  in  safety. 

A  quantity  of  whale  blubber  had  been  brought  on  the  sleds, 
and  some  of  this  was  set  burning  within  the  hut  itself.  It  made 
the  air  stifling  and  almost  unbearable  to  Stokes,  but  without  it 
every  man  in  the  party  would  have  frozen  before  morning. 

Dogs  and  all  slept  in  the  hut,  and  the  next  morning  the  jour- 
ney was  resumed. 

The  detective  from  the  south  could  not  get  ovex  a  continual 
feeling  of  surprise  at  the  endless  night. 

During  about  one  hour  in  the  day  the  stars  paled,  but  there 
was  never  anything  like  the  bright  light  of  a  southern  day. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  day  Stokes  asked  his  friends  how 
much  longer  it  would  take  to  get  to  Zeglit. 

One  of  them  responded,  with  an  amused  smile,  that  at  this 
rate  they  might  get  there  in  a  week. 

"We  shall  leave  you  to-morrow,"  he  added. 

"Well,"  th(  aght  Stokes,  "I  may  get  used  to  this  everlasting 
night  time,  and  I  reckon  if  these  Esquimaux  can  stand  it  I  can ; 
at  the  same  time  I  shall  give  three  cheers  the  next  time  I  see 
the  sun.     I  wonder  if  I  ever  shall  ?' ' 

When  the  party  crawled  out  of  the  second  snow  hut  to  begin  the 
third  day's  journey  the  Esquimaux  looked  at  the  sky  with  alarm. 

"Storm  coming,"  they  said. 

"Is  that  going  to  prevent  your  getting  on  ?"  asked  Stokes, 
anxiously. 

"No  can  tell,  '  they  answered.  "We  get  better  place  than  this 
if  we  have  time." 

They  hurried  their  departure  and  cheered  the  dogs  on  to  their 
greatest  speed  in  ordet  to  reach  what  they  said  would  be  a  safe 
place  to  remain  in  if  they  had  to  while  the  storm  lasted;* 

The  wind  rose  steadily  all  through  the  forenoon,  and  the  stars 
disappeared  behind  banks  of  heavy  clouds. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  it  began  to  snow.  It  came  down  so 
hard  and  fast  that  the  dogs  found  difificulty  in  dragging  the  sleds. 

At  last  the  Esquimaux  halted,  convinced  that  they  could  not 
reach  the  place  they  wished  to,  and  set  about  making  prepara- 
ations  for  some  kind  of  a  camp  where  they  were. 

It  would  have  been  better  if  they  had  stayed  at  their  second 
camp. 

It  seemed  as  if  after  they  decided  to  halt  the  wind  blew  in 
greater  fury  and  the  snow  fell  faster  than  tvtt.  ^^^^^  i     ^jiiX 


KOTUK'S  PERIL. 


205 


It  was  impossible  to  see  a  man  at  a  distance  of  a  few  feet. 

Stokes  was  working  with  the  others 'carrying  blocks  of  snow 
from  the  place  where  they  were  cut  to  the  spot  where  the  shelter 
was  being  built. 

The  work  was  exceedingly  difficult,  for  it  was  hard  to  see  and 
good  deal  hardento  retain  one's  footing.  Still  the  gale  increased 
in  fury. 

Presently  a  fierce,  heavy  blast  caught  them,  and  one  or  two  of 
the  sleds  were  torn  from  their  fastenings  and  sent  out  of  sight* 
before  the  wind ;  the  dogs  were  dragged  after  them   in  spite  of 
their  efforts. 

With  cries  of  alarm  several  of  the  Esquimaux  started  out  to 
catch  the  sleds  and  drag  them  back. 

The  leader  of  the  party  called  out  to  them  to  beware,  but  they 
did  not  heed  him.  For  fully  two  minutes  that  terrific  blast  of 
wind  continued. 

When  it  began  Stokes  was  carrying  a  block  of  snow  to  the 
unfinished  hut  and  his  back  was  to  the  wind.  It  threw  him  flat 
down  upon  his  face.  When  he  tried  to  get  up  he  found  it  so  diffi- 
cult to  rise  that  he  concluded  it  to  be  the  better  thing  to  remain 
as  he  was  until  the  wind  should  go  down  a  bit. 

Somebody  fell  beside  him. 

"Hello,  Kotuk!  is  that  you?"  Stokes  asked. 

"Yah!"  answered  his  companion  "Heap  big  wind." 

"I  should  think  so.  How  long  do  you  suppose  it's  'going  to 
last?" 

"No  can  tell." 

When  at  length  the  furious  blast  gave  way  they  struggled  to 
their  feet. 

The  wind  was  still  high,  but  they  could  move  about  without 
much  difficulty. 

The  unfinished  hut  was  before  them  and  their  own  team  of 
dogs  was  huddled  together,  having  somehow  managed  to  escape 
the  force  that  had  sent  the  others  sliding. 

They  could  see  no  sign  of  the  hunters  or  their  dogs  or  their 
sleds. 

At  first  this  was  not  alarming,  because  the  snow  was  falling  so 
fast  that  the  others  might  be  within  a  rod  or  two  and  yet  be  invis- 
ible. 

Kotuk  called  aloud  to  his  companions.  There  was  no  response. 

Stokes  fired  one  of  his  revolvers  in  the  air.  A  few  seconds  later 
they  heard  a  faint  report  in  the  direction  toward  which  the  wind 
wao  blowing. 

"Wemnst  gotothem,"  said  Ko'uk. 

* 'They'll  come  back  here,  won't  they  ?"  asked  Stokes. 


i, 


3o6 


KOTUK'S  PERIL. 


^ 


"No  can  tell.  Maybe  they  can't,  and  anyhow  we  must  be 
together.    No  safe  for  anybody  if  we  all  lost." 

Stokes  could  see  himself  that  it  was  better  for  the  party  to 
keep  together,  and  accordingly  he  helped  Kotuk  willingly  in  get- 
ting the  sled  and  dogs  ready  to  move  on. 

They  went  cautiously  before  the  wind,  frequently  shouting  and 
occasionally  firing  in  order  to  warn  their  companions  of  their 
whereabouts. 

After  the  first  report  that  they  had  heard  as  an  answer  to 
Stokes'  shot,  no  sound  came  to  them  of  the  missing  Esquimaux, 

For  an  hour  or  two  they  toiled  blindly  on  in  the  darkness, 
which  was  growing  denser  as  the  real  night  approached. 

At  last  Kotuk  brought  the  dogs  to  a  halt 

"Lost!"  he  said,  disconsolately. 

"That's  what  we  are,"  Stokes  responded.  "And  it's  worse 
now  than  if  we  had  stayed  at  the  camp.  Not  only  have  we  got 
away  from  the  others,  but  we  have  nothing  to  shelter  us. ' ' 

Kotuk  stood  still  a  minute  thinking  the  situation  over. 

"Must  keep  moving,"  he  remarked  at  length,  and  on  they 
went. 

What  with  the  falling  snow  and  the  growing  darkness, 
it  soon  became  impossible  to  see  where  they  were  stepping. 

They  knew  only  that  they  were  in  the  snow.  The  dogs  toiled 
along  beside  them,  but  it  required  both  Stokes  and  Kotuk  haul- 
ing at  the  sled  to  keep  that  with  them. 

"This  does  look  as  if  it  were  all  up  with  me,"  said  Stokes  to 
himself,  "but  I  would  just  like  to  know  how  01  e  is  getting 
along. ' ' 

This  thought  had  hardly  occurred  to  him  before  Kotuk  fell 
down.  Stokes  reached  ou  to  help  him  and  went  down  too.  But 
that  wasn't  the  worst  of  it — they  kept  on  going  down. 

It  was  somewhat  like  the  slide  with  which  they  landed  in  Yed- 
vik,  but  they  were  not  on  the  sled  now. 

It  was  with  them  and  Stokes  grabbed  it  by  the  side  with  one 
hand  while  with  the  other  he  caught  Kotuk  by  the  shoulder;  the 
dogs  came  tumbling  along  with  them. 

The  snow  was  several  inches  deep,  but  the  incline  on  which 
they  started  to  slide  was  so  steep  that  they  plowed  along  down 
it  as  rapidly,  apparently,  as  if  it  were  uncovered  ice. 

Faster  and  faster  they  shot  down.  The  dogs  were  yelping  furi- 
ously and  making  frantic  efforts  to  break  away ;  the  harness  held 
them,  however,  so  that  they  remained  sliding  in  a  confused  heap. 

"There'll  be  trouble  for  anything  that  gets  in  our  way," 
thought  Stokes  with  grim  humor.  "And  it's  lucky  for  us  there 
aie  no  hummocks  here. " 

After  what  seemed  to  be  miles  of  tljis  kind  of  struggling  tbcir 


KOTUK'S  PERIL. 


907 


speed  slackened,  for  they  bad  come  upon  a  level  and  presently 
they  halted.  Sliding  along  thus  they  had  piled  up  snow  in  front 
of  them,  and  they  came  to  rest  gently  at  last  without  so  much 
as  a  bruise  to  tell  of  their  strange  experience. 

Stokes  and  Kotuk  got  up  and  for  the  next  few  minvites  devoted 
their  efforts  to  helping  the  dogs  out  of  the  tangle  they  had  got 
into  with  their  harness. 

"What  next,  Kotuk?"  asked  Stokes. 

* '  Ugh ! "  he  answered.    ' '  Make  house. '  * 

This  they  did  as  well  as  they  could.  In  the  darkness  it  was 
impossible  to  find  the  best  kind  of  snow,  but  some  sort  of  shelter 
they  did  manage  to  erect,  under  which  they  drove  the  dogs  and 
afterward  crawled  themselves. 

In  spite  of  the  perils  which  surrounded  them  and  the  unknown 
dangers  which  might  come,  Stokes  slept  like  a  top. 

When  he  awoke  the  storm  had  ceased.  The  sky  was  clear,  and 
by  the  light  of  the  stars  he  saw  that  they  were  encamped  upon 
a  perfectly  level  plain. 

The  level  was  broken  a  short  distance  away  by  a  steep  hill 
down  which  they  had  slid  the  evening  before. 

Kotuk  had  not  the  slightest  idea  where  they  were,  though  he 
judged  from  the  looks  of  things  that  this  level  plain  upon  which 
they  wete  encamped  was  a  frozen  lake  or  arm  of  the  shore. 

The  poor  fellow,  accustomed  though  he  was  to  the  dangers  of  a 
northern  winter,  was  bewildered  by  the  situation  and  knew  not 
what  to  advise. 

"It  strikes  me,"  said  Stokes,  "that  the  first  thing  we  had  bet- 
ter do  is  to  hunt  for  fresh  meat. 

"We're  in  luck  that  some  of  our  provi  ions  managed  to  stick 
to  the  sled.  We've  got  enough  here  to  last  three  days,  anyhow. 
Meantime " 

"No  game  here,"  interrupted  Kotuk,  gloomily. 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  Stokes  answered.  "I'm  going  to 
see  what  can  be  found." 

Kotuk,  utterly  discouraged,  refused  to  leave  the  camp. 

Stokes,  therefore,  gave  him  a  revolver  to  use  for  signaling  if  there 
should  be  occasion  for  it  and  started  on  alone  in  the  direction 
away  from  the  hill. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  end  of  the  plain  in  that  direction. 

Toward  midday  it  grew  lighter,  as  usual.  S*;okes  could  distin- 
guish the  heap  of  snow  \yhich  he  and  Kotuk  had  made  for  a  shel- 
ter at  a  great  distance. 

He  occasionally  looked  in  that  direction  while  he  was  tramp- 
ing over  the  ice  field. 

Hunger  at  last  compelled  Stokes  to  turn  back;  he  had  found 
no  game  nor  any  sign  of  any. 


I:: 

I: 


■ll 

m\ 


3o8 


KOTUK'S  PERII.. 


As  he  was  approaching  the  shelter,  although  yet  at  a  consider* 
able  clistajice,  he  saw  two  moving  figures  there. 

One  of  them  he  supposed  was  Koiuk.  He  could  not  make  out 
at  first  who  or  what  the  other  was,  for  the  figure  was  evidently 
larger  than  any  of  t!: :  dogs. 

Then  a  shot  from  Kotuk's  revolver  caused  him  to  hurry  his 
steps,  and  a  moment  later  he  saw  a  sight  that  made  his  heart 
stand  still  with  horror. 

A  huge  polar  bear  had  come  up  to  the  hut  and  surprised  the 
Esqu'uiau.  The  latter,  f-'jhteued  out  of  his  senses,  had  fired 
wildly  and  missed  the  '      r. 

The  great  animal,  as  hungry  doubtless  as  were  the  wolves  that 
had  pursued  the  travelers,  leaped  for  Koluk,  caught  him  in  his 
forearms,  and  as  Stokes  drew  near  was  bracing  himself  against 
the  sncw  shelter,  while  he  was  trying  to  crush  the  life  out  of  the 
Esquimau's  struggling  body. 

Beai  and  man  were  in  such  a  position  that  Stokes,  good  marks- 
man though  he  was,  dared  not  f -2  for  fear  of  killing  Kotuk. 

The  Esquimau  was  making  a  furious  struggle  for  life,  and    the 
chances  were  that  he  wou'd  wriggle  himself  11.      the  bullet's  wax 
if  Stokes  should  fire.   Thede  ective.  therefore,  without  a  thought 
of  p^ril   to   himself,  riuhsd   forward   with  a  vain  idea,  that  he 
would  tear  Ko  uk  from  the  bear's  grip. 

The  animal  roared  savagely  an  Stokes  came  up,  and  catching 
at  the  snow  shelter  with  one  forearm,  while  he  held  Kotuk  with 
the  other,  he  raised  one  of  his  hin  feet  and  struck  £tckes  full 
in  the  chest  with  it  and  tumbled  him  heels  over  head  and  hurled 
him  rods  away. 

Stokes  picked  himself  up  with  the  agility  of  a  cat  and  rushed 
again  to  the  attack. 

The  bear  had  slipped  in  the  effort  and  had  half  fallen,  still 
holding  Ko'uk  i;i  his  arm. 

In  t  ii.5  position  he  presented  a  target  at  which  Stokes  could 
fire  with  safe'y.  The  de' ective  did  £0,  and  with  a  terrifying  howl 
the  bear  dropped  the  Esquimau,  staggered  back  against  the  snow 
shelter  and  rolled  over. 

He  was  by  no  means  dead  as  a  result  of  this  shot,  but  Stokes 
easily  finished  him  with  ano'.her;  then  he  turned  to  Kotuk. 

The  Esquimau  lay  in  the  snow  panting  loudly. 

"How  is  it,  Kotuk?"  Stokes  asked,  leaning  0"er  him.  "Any 
bones  broken  ?" 

"No  can  tell,"  was  the  Esquimau's  characteristic  answer. 

Stokes  helped  him  to  his  feet,  and  the  Esquimau  felt  along  bis 
ribs  and>legs,  and  finally  ihrugged  his  shoulders,  saying: 

"Kotuk  heap  all  right,  but  cose  squeeze." 

"It  was  a  close  squeeze  and  no  mistake,"  Stokes  responded. 


A'  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


209 


Kotuk  nodded  and  walked  up  to  the  dying  bear.  After  looking 
at  the  animal  for  a  moment  he  gave  him  a  little  kick,  turning 
aside  and  said  with  a  grin: 

"Plenty  to  eat  now." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICBBBRG. 

It  was  well  enough  now  to  talk  about  having  plenty  of  meat  to 
eat,  but  it  was  another  matter  to  cook  it. 

Stokes  was  not  yet  prepared  to  eat  raw  bear's  meat,  and 
beyond  a  little  blubber  they  had  nothing  with  which  to  make  a  fire 
unless  they  should  burn  up  their  sled. 

There  was  not  woodwo''^  enough  on  the  sled  to  more  than  cook 
a  single  steak,  so  that  it  would  have  been  folly  to  Sacrifice  that, 
even  if  it  were  not  probable   that  they  would  need  the  sled  later. 

The  problem,  therefore,  that  Stokes  had  to  solve  now  was  how 
to  get  wood.  He  looked  back  at  the  hill  down  which  he  had  slid 
the  night  before,  and  so  far  as  he  could  see  in  the  half  darkness 
it  was  entirely  bare  of  trees. 

"The  probabiliiy  is,"  he  said  to  himself,  "that  that  is  not  an 
ordinary  hill,  anyway,  but  a  glacier,  and  this  is  a  part  of  it  we 
are  camping  on. 

"Quite  likely  this  is  the  sea  itself,  and  now  if  we  should  tiavel 
far  enough  we  might  come  to  the  edge  of  some  kind  of  shore 
where  there  would  be  a  possibility  of  getting  driftwood.  Any- 
thing is  better  than  staying  here." 

Kotuk  agreed  to  this. 

The  Esquimau  was  greatly  encouraged  by  having  a  supply  of 
food  at  hand. 

Accordingly  he  prepared  willingly  to  break  camp  and  move 
elsewhere. 

They  hitched  the  dogs  to  the  bear's  carcass  and  prepared  them- 
selvej  to  drag  the  sled. 

The  bear  was  so  heavy  that  the  dogs  found  •ome  difficulty  in 
dragging  it,  but  they  got  along  nevertheless  as  fast  as  the  men 
could  conveniently  walk. 

Stokes  took  a  course  due  south,  on  the  principle  that  the  sea 
won'd  be  more  likely  to  lie  in  that  direction  than   in  any  Cher. 

They  tramped  mile  after  mile  without  coming  to  anything 
whatever  that  broke  the  level  of  the  ice  field. 

They  were  getting  so  hungry  that  they  would  have  had  to 


2IO 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


stop  soon,  when  they  discovered  a  fallen  tree  lying  directly 
across  their  path. 

Its  roots  were  partly  in  the  »ir  and  partly  buried  in  the  ice. 

•'That  tells  the  story, "  Stokes  said.  "This  is  a  glacier.  And 
this  tree  was  caught  by  it  somewhere  far  inland  and  so  brought 
down  toward  the  sea. ' ' 

Of  course  a  fire  was  made  in  short  order  and  a  supper  of  bear's 
meat  was  prepared  for  both  men  and  dogs.  While  Kotuk 
attended  to  this  Stokes  did  his  best  in  the  making  of  a  shelter. 
He  had  learned  his  lessons  well,  and  so  succeeded  with  occa- 
sional help  from  the  Esquimau  in  making  a  hut  that  would  hold 
them  all. 

They  slept  there  that  night.  The  next  morning  they  found 
that  their  heavy  coats  were  uncomfortable  when  they  were  mov- 
ing about. 

While  they  were  preparing  breakfast  they  heard  loud  reports 
and  strange  grinding  noises.  The  Esquimau  paid  little  attention 
to  them,  although  it  was  clear  enough  that  he  regarded  them 
seriously. 

"Is  the  ice  in  motion?"  asked  Stokes. 

• '  Yah,  • '  returned  Kotuk.     ' '  Heap  move. ' '    ' 

He  shook  his  head  as  if  unwilling  to  guess  what  might  happen. 
Aftet  they  had  breakfasted  Kotuk  suggested  that  he  would  go 
on  an  exploration. 

"You  do  all  work,"  he  said;  "you  heap  tired — you  sleep. 
Kotuk  take  his  turn — find  sea  somewhere — then  maybe  we  make 
boat  or  something. ' ' 

It  was  not  at  all  clear  to  the  detective's  mind  what  could  be 
done  if  he  should  find  the  sea,  but  he  did  think  it  worth  while 
to  keep  on  exploring  in  the  hope  of  coming  some  day  to  some 
kind  of  a  settlement,  and  as  indeed  he  was  thoroughly  tired  out, 
he  agreed  to  Kotuk'9  suggestion  and  crawled  into  the  hut 

Kotuk  announced  that  he  would  return  by  noon. 

"If  we  no  find  better  place,"  he  said,  encouragingly,  "we  stay 
by  this  tree  until  we  bum  it  all  up." 

He  started  on  with  a  couple  of  the  dogs  as  companions,  leav- 
ing the  others  fastened  by  a  thong  to  the  sled.  This  gave  the 
dogs  that  remained  plenty  of  room  to  exercise ;  and  if  they  chose 
they  could  crawl  into  the  hut  without  being  unfastened. 

Stokes  lay  down  upon  the  blanket  in  the  hut  and  was  almost 
instantly  asleep. 

It  was  not  yet  midday  when  a  man  came  toiling  across  the  ice 
field  tc  ^ard  the  hut.    fH-.'irr 

There  were  no  dogs  yflih  him,  and  any  one  could  have  seen 
that  he  was  not  an  Esquimau.  He  was  as  large  as  two  ordinary 
Ssquit&auz. 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


211 


almost 
the  ice 


He  walked  very  slowly,  as  if  his  strength  was  almost  gone. 

When  he  arrived  near  the  hut  he  halted  an  instant  and  looked 
around  as  if  fearful  of  something.    At  that  moment  the  dogs  were 
til  within  the  entrance  to  the  hut. 

The  stranger  stepped  to  the  sled  and  took  up  an  article  that 
was  lying  there.  It  was  a  haversack  partly  filled  with  matches, 
cartridge  boxes,  and  other  small  things  that  StoLes  managed  to 
carry  with  him. 

The  stranger  slowly  raided  the  flap  of  the  haversack  and  started 
violently  as  what  he  saw  there.  It  was  simply  a  name,  Harvey 
Stokes,  stamped  upon  the  cover. 

The  stranger  laid  the  haversack  down  and  approached  the  snow 
hut.  All  such  huts  as  this  are  so  constructed  t.7it  there  is  a  small 
hole  in  the  top  to  serve  as  a  chimney  wb'^n  blubber  is  burned 
inside.  The  weather  being  warm,  there  wad  none  burning  theie 
now. 

The  stranger  was  so  tall  that  he  could  lean  over  the  hut  and 
look  down  through  this  hole.  He  did  so,  and  just  then,  the  dogs, 
becoming  aware  of  his  approach,  set  up  a  terrific  yelping. 

Stokes  opened  his  eyes  just  in  time  to  see  the  face  of  Ole  Han- 
son disappear  from  the  hole  above  his  head. 

The  detective  jumped  hom  wheie  he  was  lying  and  made  for 
the  low  door.  He  had  to  go  on  his  hands  and  knees  and  drive 
the  dogs  out  ahead  of  hira  in  order  to  get  through. 

When  he  emerged  he  uaw  Ole,  with  a  fierce  smile  on  his  face, 
approaching  him  with  an  open  knife  in  his  hand. 
"^    "You  go  everywhere, "  cried  the  Swede,  "but  I  finish  you  at 
last." 

Stokes  did  not  waJ'.  fcr  the  attack.  He  leaped  forward,  threw 
up  one  hand  to  catch  tb"  Swede's  descending  arm,  and  thys 
warded  off  the  blow. 

With  the  other  hand  he  struck  the  Swede  squarely  in  the  chest. 

Once  before  these  two  had  struggled,  and  then  the  Swede  was 
more  than  a  raitch  for  Stokes.  With  his  giant  frame  it  would 
seem  as  if  he  could  take  ihe  detective  in  his  hands  and  break  his 
back  as  he  would  a  stick. 

Nevertheless  Stokes'  blow  sent  the  tall  fellow  staggering  back 
until  he  fell  full  length  upon  the  snow. 

He  did  not  try  to  get  up,  and  when  Stokes  stood  over  him  with 
his  revolver  ready  to  fire  there  was  no  occasion  for  any  anxiety 
as  to  what  Ole  might  do. 

His  knife  had  dropped  from  his  hand  and  he  lay  back  per- 
fectly helpless. 

"Give  up'"  he  said  feebly.    "I  give  up.     Yust  starved.    Give 
'me  food  and  I  no  harm  you.     If  you  won't  give  me  food  shoot 
me." 
■■■-■■  x::&saz,.  . .' 


3X2 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


It  needed  but  a  glance  at  the  giant  Swede's  sunken  cheeks  and 
bloodshot  eyes  to  show  that  he  was  indeed  suffering  from  starva- 
ticn.     There  was  no  more  fight  in  him. 

His  5erce  enmity  to  Stokes  had  given  him  the  nerve  to  make 
an  effort  at  revenge,  and  when  he  found  that  the  detective's  blow 
was  enough  to  tumble  him  over  his  courage  left  him. 

Stokes  saw  that  he  was  harmless,  and  without  stopping  to  ask 
questions  or  even  to  search  him  for  weapons  that  might  be  con- 
cealed upon  him,  the  detective  hastened  to  the  sled  and  brought 
the  Swede  a  piece  of  bear's  meat,  which  Ole  devoured  greedily. 

"Ah!"  he  said  b'itween  his  mouthfuls,  "f  ere  is  no  escaping 
you.     I  had  rather  be  your  prisoner  fan  starve  to  deaf." 

' '  How  did  you  get  here  ?' '  asked  Stokes. 

Ole  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"How  can  I  tell?"  he  answered.  "My  boat .  wrecked— my 
Esquimau  drowned — I  frown  on  shore — I  walk— don't  know 
how  many  days,  for  I  don't  see  f  e  sun." 

"How  far  away  is  the  sea?" 

"Ten  mile,  perhaps." 

"Is  your  boat  lying  on  the  shore?" 

"What  fere  is  left  of  it." 

"Do  you  suppose  we  could  repair  it?" 

"No." 

"Well,"  said  Stokes,  "we  can  at  least  move  to  the  south,  and 
that  ought  to  bring  us  somewhere  if  we  keep  moving  long 
enough." 

"Yah!"  responded  Ole.  " We  walk  south  if  we  no  freeze  here, 
and  if  we  go  far  enough  we  melt." 

There  was  no  humor  in  the  Swede's  tore.  He  spoke  in  a  mel- 
ancholy way,  as  if  he  had  no  courap^  cr  hope  of  any  kind  left, 
but  he  kept  on  devouring  bear's  meat  greedily. 

"You  didn't  need  to  come  so  far  north  for  this  meeting/'  eaid 
Stokes  after  a  moment. 

"  No, "  Ole  responded,  * '  I  know  fat. ' '  'f^ 

"You  know  it?" 

"Yah  " 

"How  so?" 

"Me  know  you  wait  for  me  at  Yed\ik." 

"You  knew  that?" 

"Yah."  *" 

"How  did  it  happen  ?  I  thought  I  had  kept  myself  out  of  sight 
as  your  boat  came  into  Yedvik  harbor." 

"Oh,   yah!     You  no   give 'way  any fing.     It  was  f  is   way." 

The  Swede  laid  down  his  food  and  spoke  with  considerable 
rapidity. 

"I  fink  you  great  man, "   he  said.    "I  fink  you  dc  aayt'iflgi 


mai 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  IC3BBRG. 


ai3 


said 


'  sight 


"Sometimes  I  say  I  beat  you — but  I  no  believe  it — I  feel  all 
my  inside  t'at  you  get  best  of  me  some  day. 

"My  one  hope  was  t'at  Jennie,  t'egirl  in  Circle  City,  my  sweet- 
heart, you  know,  would  outwit  you.     I  t'ink  she  did  a  little. " 

"Yes,"  Stokes  assented,  "she  got  you  away  from  Dan's  dive 
right  enough,  but  she  didn't  play  her  next  trick  quite  so  well." 

"No,  fat's  right — she  slip  up  somehow — she  tried  to  make  you 
believe  I  go  off  to  t'e  hut  sout'  of  Circle  City — hey?" 

"That's  what  she  did." 

"Yah I     I  told  her  I  no  much  t'ink  you  would  tumble  to  t'at. 

"Well,  when  I  see  Jennie  coming  up  t'e  cliff  t'ere,  nort'  of 
Circle  City,  and  t'e  carriage  running  along  t'e  road  fast,  I 
knowed  well  'noug  t'at  you  must  be  in  t'e  carriage,  so  as  you 
know  I  climb  down  t'e  cliff  fast — get  in  my  boat  yust  in  time  to 
catch  t'e  revolver  t'at  Jennie  t'rowed  to  me — t'en  I  sail  away. 

"And  when  I  tink  how  no  good  boats  left  in  Circle  City,  I 
feel  for  a  few  minutes  t'at  I  am  safe. 

"I  tink  go  to  Yedvik — get  on  whaler  t'ere. 

"So  I  tell  my  Esquimaux  to  sail  for  Yedvik. 

"T'ey  no  like  it— but  I  talk  money  and  I  show  my  revolver— 
so  t'ey  sail  away. 

"Well,  two  or  free  days  pass. 

"I  look  all  f  e  time  to  f  e  souf ,  wondering  if  steamer  come 
chasing  me. 

"Bimeby,  in  middle  of  day,  I  climb  up  f  e  rope  ladder  of  f  e 
mast  and  lok  wif  glass  far,  far  souf. 

' '  I  see  kayak. 

"No  can  tell  who  in  it,  but  sight  of  kayak  'nough. 

"I  know  you  follow  me,  so  fen  we  go  on  until  we  come  near 
Yedvik. 

"All  t'e  time  we  go  into  Yedvik  harbor  I  fink  how  perhaps 
you  land  somewhere  on  souf  side  of  peninsula,  and  cross  wif 
dogs  and  watch  shore  wif  glass. 

"No  see  you,  but  I  do  see  Esquimau  who  I  fink  wif  you. 

"I  give  glass  to  one  of  my  men,  who  look  and  say  'T'at 
Kotuk,' your  man — hey?" 

"Yes,"  said  Stokes,  "Kotuk  was  my  companion." 

"T'at  settled  it — we  know  if  Kotuk  in  Yedvik  you  in  Yedvik 
— so  we  sail  away — see  ? 

"We  make  for  Zeglit — -  ■  good  weather — and  my  Esquimaux 
make  much  trouble — but  i  show  my  revolver  and  fey  have  to 
sail. 

"T'e  trouble  is  I  have  to  sleep  some  time — sconce  when  I 
tieep  fey  steal  my  revolver  and  f row  it  overboard. 

"T'ea  I  know  not  what  to  do. 


314 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


**T'e  Esquimaux  would  turn  sout',  but  t'ey  have  not  much 
food  left  on  boat  and  so  must  go  to  some  port. 

"Zeglit  nearest. 

"T'ey  make  up  t'eir  mijids  to  find  Zeglit,  and  so  we  keep  on 
to  t'e  nort'. 

' '  I  know  not  how  long  it  last — always  dark. 

"Laige  snow — high  waves — terrible  cold." 

The  Swede  shook  his  head  and  shivered  at  the  memory  of  the 
fearful  perils  he  had  undergone. 

"At  last  one  night,  or  day,  or  what  I  say  noontime,  mebbe — 
always  so  daik— t'e  boat  smash  against  somet'ing. 

*We  all  frown  out — a  wave  carry  our  boat  and  all  high  up  on 
land  or  ice — don'-,  know  which — and  it  don't  matter. 

"Bof  t'e  Esqui  naux  swept  back  into  sea  and  drown. 

"I  cling  to  boat  wreck  and  so  saved. 

"  One  little  can  of  meat  left — I  take  it,  and  for  a  long  time 
wander  along  t'e  shore — finally  meat  all  gone. 

"I  'fraid  of  sea — rat'er  go  inland  fan  be  near  fat  dark  noisy 
sea  any  mere — so  I  walk  and  walk  and  come  here — fat's  all. 

Just  as  Ole  finished  his  story  Kotuk  came  back. 

His  face  was  expressive  of  alarm,  and  he  merely  glanced  at 
the  Swede  as  he  said : 

"I  find  sea  and  almost  drown — no  can  tell  what  happen  to  us. 
"What  is  the  matter,  Kotuk?"  Stokes  asked. 
"We  on  iceberg,  the  Esquimau  replied. 

"I  go  near  edge — it  goes  smash — smash — break  in  big  pieces, 
and  I  almost  get  carried  away — dogs  did." 
"You  lost  a  couple  of  dogs,  then?" 

"Yah.    T'ty  go  sailing  off  on  small  iceberg.    We  go  bimeby. " 
"Well,  that  will  be  better  than  staying  here, "  said  Stokes, 
grimly. 

All  this  time  the  air  was  filled  with  the  creaking,  groaning 
and  booming  noises  that  showed  that  the  immense  ice  field  was 
on  the  move  and  breaking  up  into  what  would  be  icebergs  if  the 
pieces  should  float  out  into  the  open  water. 

Even  as  they  stood  there  wondering  what  they  had  better  do 
there  camie  a  noise  like  the  roar  of  a  hundred  cannon,  not  far 
behind  them. 

Turning  about  quickly,  they  saw  that  a  tremendous  crack  had 
ocurred  in  the  ice  but  a  few  rods  from  where  they  were. 

Stokes  ran  out  toward  the  crack. 

"iiook  out!"  Kotuk  called,  warningly.. 

Stokes  halted  and  presently  ran  back  again  to  the  camp. 

The  ice  was  cracking  in  every  direction  and  in  some  places 
the  openings  were  too  wide  to  jump  acrost. 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


215 


The  dogs  yelped  and  howled  dismally.  They  seemed  to  feel  as 
if  the  world  were  coming  to  an  end. 

Kotuk  tried  to  quiet  the  dogs  in  vain.  They  sat  on  their 
haunches  and  howled,  and  neither  commands  nor  cuffs  could 
make  them  cease. 

"Don't  like  t'is, "  remarked  the  Swede,  gloomily. 

' 'Well,  I  don't  know,"  returned  Stokes.  "It  seems  to  me  that 
it's  rather  interesting." 

His  companions  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  They  could 
not  understand  how  it  was  that  he  should  take  the  matter  so 
coolly.  In  fact,  Stokes  was  mentally  prepared  for  the  worst,  but 
he  had  been  through  so  many  perils  upon  this  expedition  that  he 
now  felt  a  quiet  confidence  that  somehow  he  would  get  out  of  it 
all  right. 

"I  may  die  next  minute,"  he  said  to  himself,  "though  I  don't 
quite  see  how  I  can,  but  if  I  should  I  must  say  it  will  be  an 
interesting  death." 

The  roaring  and  booming  of  the  moving  ice  field  continued, 
and  for  a  moment  the  men  found  it  diflScultto  stand.  The  whole 
mass  was  shaking  and  vibrating;  then  it  suddenly  became 
motionless,  although  the  booming  noises  continued  from  a  dis- 
tance. 

!  Looking  back  to  the  place  where  the  first  crack  had  appeared, 
Stokes  saw  that  now  it  was  very  wide,  and  on  examination  later 
he  could  distinguish  water  between  the  great  cake  of  ice  upon 
which  they  stood  and  the  ice  beyond. 

"We're  afloat,"  he  remarked,  quietly. 

The  three  men  watched  the  ice  field  from  which  they  were 
slowly  drawing  away  in  silence  for  a  moment. 

Although  it  was  midday,  it  was  yet  too  dark  to  see  it  clearly, 
and  presently  they  could  not  distinguish  it  at  all. 

In  the  other  direction  the  ice  field  upon  which  they  stood 
stretched  away  so  far  that  they  could  not  see  its  edge. 

"Well,"  said  Ole  after  a  time,  "I  your  prisoner— 3-ou  take 
me  back  to  Circle  City — hey?" 

"I  shall  if  this  craft  can  be  made  to  go  there,"  Stokes 
answered. 

"You  do  anyt'ing,"  returned  the  Swede;  "you  say  Circle  City 
to  ice,  and  to  Circle  City  it  will  go." 

"I  wish  that  was  so,"  Stokes  answered. 

"I  t'ink  so,  and  I  go  to  sleep." 

With  this  Ole  crawled  into  the  hut  and  did  not  come  our  agait^ 
until  the  middle  of  the  next  day.  Stokes  did  not  rest  at  all  that 
night.  As  the  hours  wore  on  the  cracking  and  booming  of  the 
ice  fields  gradually  diminished.    .  .  . 

He  supposed  this  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  iceberg  upon 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


ai6 

which  they  floated  was  getting  further  and  further  from  the  land, 
and  in  the  morning  this  was  proved  to  be  the  case. 

When  it  was  light  enough  for  them  to  see  objects  at  any  distance, 
it  was  discovered  that  there  was  open  water  near  them,  stretching 
away  further  than  the  eye  could  reach. 

In  the  other  direction  the  ice  field  seemed  to  be  unbroken. 

"T'is  is  an  immense  iceberg,"  remarked  Ole  to  Kotuk,  who 
had  sat  by  the  fire  most  of  the  night  without  stirring. 

"Yah,"  Kotuk  responded,  "but  not  stay  so  long." 

"You  mean  t'at  it  will  break  up  into  smaller  pieces?" 

"Yah,  him  break  where  you  stand  any  minute." 

"Well,  if  it  breaks  it  breaks,"  said  Stokes.  "We  can't  help 
that." 

Inspired  by  the  detective's  nerve,  the  EJiquimau  prepared  a 
meal  of  bear's  meat,  and  from  that  time  on  did  the  work  of  cook- 
ing for  the  camp  without  waiting  to  be  asked. 
'    He  was  silent  most  of  the  time,  but  even  he  seemed  to       in 
confidence  from  Stokes. 

Ole  spent  most  of  the  time  in  the  snow  hut.  He  came  out  to 
eat,  and  at  midday  he  would  stand  looking  all  around  as  long  as 
the  light  lasted,  as  if  hoping  to  see  some  promise  of  rescue. 

Several  days  passed  thus. 

"^  As  the  Esquithau  foretold,  the  iceberg  broke  into  smaller  frag- 
ments, but  no  crack  occurred  near  enough  to  the  camp  to  endan- 
ger the  travelers. 

When  there  was  a  break  it  was  accompanied  by  a  chorus  of 
terrific  howls  from  the  dogs. 

""  How  far  or  how  fast  they  were  traveling,  or  even  in  what  direc- 
tion, it  was  impossible  to  say;  but  one  day,  when  Kotuk  and 
Ole  were  at  the  moment  in  the  hut,  they  heard  Stokes  uttering  a 
wild  hurrah. 

They  crawled  out  hastily  to  see  what  was  the  matter. 

"Look!"  shouted  the  detective,  pointing  to  the  south. 

On  the  very  edge  of  the  horizon  they  saw  the  rim  of  the  sun. 

>" We're  going  south,"  cried  Stokes,  "and  to-morrow  we  may 
have  half  an  hour  of  real  sunlight. "     And  so  it  proved. 

Each  day  after  that  grew  little  longer,  and  with  every.day  they 
saw  land  to  the  east. 

Neither  Kotuk  nor  Ole  was  familiar  enough  with  the  coast  to 
make  out  where  they  were. 

The  weather  was  not  always  pleasant,  but  with  their  shelter 
they  suffered  no  very  great  discomfort,  and  the  bear's  meat  held 
out  so  well  that  they  had  plenty  to  eat. 

On  the  day  when  the  sun  rose  at  eleven,  Kotuk  pointed  to  • 
difi  lying  almost  to  the  south  of  them  and  remarked:  '^'^ 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


ai7 


"Know  that  place?" 

"Where  is  it?" 

"NearKanliv." 

"Ah!  if  we  could  only  land  there." 

It  looked  indeed  as  if  they  might  do  so.  The  icebergs  floated 
steadily  in  that  direction  until  it  was  nearly  time  for  the  sun  to 
set  again.  The  land  was  then  very  plain  and  Stokes  thought 
that  he  could  distinguish  the  Esquimau  huts  upon  the  shore. 

This  was  encouraging,  but  about  the  same  time  he  noticed  that 
the  berg  was  changing  its  direction  and  veering  off  to  the  west. 

"Stir  up  the  fire  I"  he  called.  "Burn  up  the  whole  tree  if 
necessary!" 

Kotuk  and  Ole,  perceiving  that  Stokes  was  anxious  to  make  a 
signal,  immediately  built  up  a  rousing  fire,  while  Stokes  shot  his 
revolver  into  the  air  several  times. 

Just  as  the  sun  sank  out  of  view  he  saw  three  kayaks  start  out 
from  shore  and  come  toward  them. 

A  half  hour  later  three  of  the  Kanliv  people  climbed  onto  the 
iceberg. 

Their  astonishment  at  finding  Stokes  there  was  too  great  for 
words. 

Little  time,  however,  was  spent  in  explanations.  The  three 
travelers  with  their  dogs  were  loaded  into  the  kayaks  and  taken  to 
Kanliv.  There  they  remained  for  a  day  or  two,  until  the 
weather,  which  had  grown  stormy,  permitted  of  the  sending  of  a 
messenger  to  the  island  of  Satka. 

There  the  messenger  found  white  men  who  were  friends  of 
Stokes.  They  were  men  whom  Stokes  had  served  in  one  of  bis 
previous  investigations,  and  they  promptly  sent  a  schooner  across 
to  Kanliv. 

On  this  boat  Stokes  returned  to  Circle  City  with  Kotuk  and 
Ole. 

The  Sw«de.  made  uo  attempt  to  escape,  and  in  due  time  he 
became  the  companion  of  his  master  in  the  barracks  jail. 
vf.lt  proved  that  he  had  more  anxiety  for  escaping  Stokes  than 
the  detective  had  supposed. 

He  had  killed  his  man  somewhere  in  the  course  of  his  adven- 
tures, and  was  in  mortal  terror  lest  Stokes  should  discover  this 
fact  and  hand  him  over  to  the  Swedish  authorities. 

As  that  crime  had  taken  place  not  on  American  sdil,  Ole  was 
punished  simply  for  his  connection  with  the  robbery  which  he 
and  the  imposter,  De  Bilkyou,  had  planned.  stsDiJ 

Congratulations  were  again  in  order  for  the  clever  American 
ideuth,  and  the  story,  of  his  wonderful  recovery  of  the  Swede  and 
their  escape  on  the  iceberg  was  table  talk  in  Circle  City  for  many 
a  day. 


2l8 


A  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICEBERG. 


The  men  put  up  a  magnificent  purse  for  Stokes,  with  which  he 
purchased  an  enormous  quantity  of  stores  which  in  thoughtM 
Lnerosity  he  caused  to  be  forwarded  to  the  unfortunate  but  hos- 
pitable inhabitants  of  Deft,  Yedvilc  and  Zeght 


\:/^-'" 


[TH*  XNO.] 


"'K^gsi; 


le 
ul 


f 


9 

"THE  RHINE. 
THE  ALPS, 
And  the  BATTLEFIELD  LINE." 

The  Famons  J1K\A  ^^^^ 

nSTFUriNQVIRCiNUUi 
HAS  MO  EQUAI.  BETWEEN 

CINCINNATI  AND  NEW  YOEZ, 

Via  Washingrton,  Baltimore,  and  Philadelphia. 

VeBtibaled,  Steam  Heated,  and  £leotrlo  Lighted  Throaghont. 

VHBOUQH  DININQ  O  AB  and  COKPLETE  PULLUAN  SEBV^OB. 

THROUGH  SLEEPERS  TO  AND  FROM 

ST.  LOUIS.  CHICAQO  AND  LOUISVILLE. 

The  most  tnterestlngr  historic  assodatlons  and  Ibo  most  Btrikinsr  and  beantlfhl 
scenery  In  the  United  States  are  linked  together  by  the  C.  &  O.  System,  which  traverses 
Virginia,  the  first  foothold  of  Bngllsb  settlers  lu  America,  where  the  Revolutionary 
War  was  begun  and  ended,  and  where  the  great  battles  of  the  Civil  War  were  fought ; 
crosses  tbe  Blue  R!dge  and  Alleghany  Mountains  and  the  famous  Shenandoah  Valley, 
reaches  the  celebrated  Springs  region  of  the  Virginias,  and  lies  through  the  canons  of 
New  Klver,  where  the  scenery  Is  grand  beyond  description.  It  follows  tlie  banks  of 
the  Kanawha  and  Ohio  Rivers,  and  penetrates  the  famous  Blue  Grass  region  of  Ken- 
tucky, noted  for  producing  tbe  greatest  race-horses  of  the  world. 

For  maps,  folders,  descriptive  pamphlets,  etc.,  apply  to  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
ticket  ofDces  la  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  tbe  priooliMa  tksket  office* 
ttuoughout  the  oonntiy,  or  any  of  the  fbllowhig  O.  A  O.  ageaolMt 

NEW  TORK-883  and  1838  Broadwar. 
WA8HTNOTON— S18  and  1431  Pennsylvania  aTenae. 
OTNCTNNTATT— Corner  Fiftb  and  Walnut  streets. 
LOUISVILLE— 953  Fourth  avenue. 
ST.  LOUTS— Comer  Broadway  aud  Chestnut  streett 
CHICAOO-434  Clark  street. 
CL  B»  BTAN,  Assistant  General  Passenger  Agent,  Cincinnati.  Ok 

H>  W.  MXnjLSR,  0«nexal  Pasaasgw  Agsnlt  Wwhlngton,  P.  O 


■j^    T  •:'*.■;■—  ■ 


:*W!S!»IW«»<«*«>«*'« 


**1 


■!.     %     *     ■>,. 


jMil««Ki 


I 


X^OR  AJUZ«  PXSXPf  OnPJWLr  POII^'TIB  IPS 

MISSOURI, 

KANSAS, 

INDIAN  TERRITORY, 

TEXAS, 

MIEXICO^ 

OALIFORNIA. 


FREE  BECLINma  CHAIR  CARS  OK  ALL  TRAINS. 


THROUGH  WAQNBR  RALAGB  BUFFET  8LBBPIHO  CAR3 
FROM  THE  ORGA^rr  UrA^ICXBei  70  THM 


? 


For  further  information  call  on  or  address  your  nearest 
Ticket  Agent,  or  f 

JAA£E»«I  J3A.RK1&R*  G.  P.  *  T.  A. 

St.  I^ouis,  1/Co. 


;^'  c'kt^r-TT 


0^  i  ,'•     ^^*t?',-.^»* 


Then  k  Bttk  liMb  01  «npliatiiiiic  tlM  FACT  that  tfta 


Maine  Central 
Railroad 

Hm  bwa  the  d«veiop«r  of  Bar  Hauob,  and  has  nude  thia  Ineomparabla  summer 

home  the 

Crown  of  the  Atlantic  Coast. 


ANO  MOREOVER:. 


'  The  Natural  Wonders  of  the  White  Mountains, 
The  Wieru  Grandeur  of  the  Dixville  Notch, 
The  Quaii.t  Ways  and  Scenes  of  Quebec, 
The  Multifarious  Attractions  of  Montreal, 
The  Elegance  of  Poland  Springs, 
The  Inexhaustible  Fishing  of  Rangeley. 
V  O  f%  T*  I  ^%   The  Unique  Scenery  of  Moosehead, 
I  f  71%^  i   .  The  Remarkable  Healihfulness  of  St 


'n 


I  St  Andrews. 

Are  an  within  contact  of  the  ever-lenirthenlnff  arms 
of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad* 


'1 


The  Renowned  Vacation  Line. 

Or,  to  those  who  enjoy  Ocean  Sailing,  the  statement  is  made  that  the  pio- 
neer  line  along  the  coast  of  Maine,  making  numerous  landings  at  picturesque 
points,  almdtt  encircling  the  Island  of  Mt.  Lesert  is  the 

e^A'  Portland,  Mt.  Desert  and  "^^"^ 
Machias  Steamboat  Co. 

The  Kew,  Large  and  Luxurious  Steamer,  "Frank  Jones, "  makes,  during  the 
•ummet  season,  two  round  trips  per  week  between  Portland,  Rockland,  Bar  Har> 
bor  and  Machiasport 

IDttstrated  outlines,  detdls  of  transportation,  and  other  Information  upon  ap« 
pUcatiooto 

P.  B.  BOOTHBY,  CEO.  P.  EVANS, 

0>P.aadT.AtL    '?^  ^iXLi-XirK.^&s:^  iift^Xir^  Gtn.  Mgr. 


m  m  m 

VESTEi  BUD; 


Ft.  Wayne,  dncinnati  and  LouisviDe  Rs"r:.«. 

"Natural  Qas  Bonte."  Tlie  Fplar  Sliort  list 

BETWEEN 

Peoria^  Bloomlngtoiij  Chicago*  St*  Lonti,  Sprlnffleld,  T^ifkyette, 

Fiankrortf  Maucic,  Portlaud,  Lima,  Fiiidlaj,  Fostoria, 

FremoDtj  Sandusky*  Indianapolis*  Kokomo,  Pern> 

Rochester,    Plymouth,    LaPorte^     Michigan 

City,  Ft.  Wayne,   Hartford,    BInllton, 

Counorsvillc,  and  Cincinnati,  making 

Direct  Conoectkms  for  aH  Points  East,  West,  North  and  Sontb. 
THE  ONLY  LINE  TRAVERSING 

THE  GREAT  MATURAL  QAS  AND  OIL  FIELDS 

Of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  giving  the  patrons  of  this  FopuiiAB  Houtk  an 
opportunity  to  witness  the  grand  sight  from  the  train  as  they  pass 
through.  Great  fields  covered  with  tanks,  in  which  are  stored  millions 
of  gallons  of  oil,  NATUBAii  Gas  wells  shooting  their  flames  high  in  the 
air,  and  the  most  beautiful  cities,  fairlji:.e!i\r}  wi^ii  glass  and  all  kinds 
of  factories. 

We  furnish  onr  patrons  with  Elegvut  declining  Chair  Car  Seats 
Fkbk,  on  day  trains,  and  L.  E.  &  W.  T'dnje  Sleeping  and  Parlor  Cars, 
on  night  trains,  at  very  reasonable  rates. 

Direct  connections  to  and  from  CIdvflland,  Buffalo,  New  York, 
Boston,  Philadelphia,  Bidtimore,  Pittsburg,  Washington,  Kansas  City, 
Denver,  Omaha,  Portland,  San  Francisco,  and  all  points  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

This  is  the  popular  route  with  the.  ladies,  on  acootmt  of  its  cour- 
teous and  accommodating  train  ofBcials,  and  with  the  commercial 
traveler  and  general  public  for  its  comforts,  quick  time  and  sure 
connections. 

For  any  further  particulars  call  on  or  address  any  Ticket  AgenL 
H.  C.  PARKER,         bHAS.  P.  DALY, 


"^M 


Ttraiao  Kaiiaflrery 

msiANAFOLis,  ma. 


0«al  7aH.  (ft  SM.  Aft 


DELAWARE 


HUDSON 
RAILROAD. 


THB  ONLY  DIRECT  RQUTE  TO  THE  GREAT 

ADIRONDACK  MOUNTAINS, 

IsSm  Q^otft  Zitke  Ohamplttin,  AvaaU*  Ohaina,  fhe  Adlrondaok 

MonntJdw,  Saratoga,  Bonnd  Lake,  Sharon  Springs, 

Ooopewiown,  Howe's  Gave,  and  the  Celebrated 

Gravity  Railroad  between  Oarbondala 

and  Homnedalet  Pa.,  preaeat  the  n  \  n.^. 


QiwtMt  Combination  of  Bealth  and  Pleamra  Saaoita  in  Awiiii4#^ 

The  Direct  Line  to  the  superb  Summer  hotiiL 
OF  THE  North, 

••THE  HOTEL  CHAMPLAIN,- 

CDme  Miles  South  of  Flattsbvgh,  on  Lake  Ohamplain.) 

THE  SHORTEST  AND  MOST  COMFORTABLE  ROUTE 
BETWEEN  NEW  YORK  AND  MONTREAL 


Xa  Oemieotloii  with  the  Erie  Bailway,  the  moat  Piotnrig^ 

•ad  bterestinff  Boute  between  Ohioaffo  and  Boston* 

Tha  only  thzouffh  Pullman  Una* 


Indole  Six 
YOUNO, 


Cents  U  Stamps  for  IDiistnited  Guide  ti 

J.  W.  BURDICK. 


,1 


SdTiee-FkMidaBL 


8alPlliiL4BHit»  JUbtaiy,  JSL  % 


rm 


{ 


m  MOST  POPULAR  SERIES  OF  NOVELS  PUBLISHED 


.SMITH'S 


STREETS.  EAGLE  LIBRARY 

Of  12mo.  Copyrighted  Books 
RETAIL  PRICE,  10  CENTS. 

Paper  and  printing  equal  to  any  25  cent  series  on  the 
market.  Handsome  and  Attractive  Cover  of  different 
design  for  each  issue* 

OA^T^^T    '<30IJEJ 

30— Baron  Sam.    By  the  author  of  Dr.  Jack. 

29— Theodora     By  Victorien  Sardou. 

28  —Miss  Caprice.    By  the  author  of  Dr.  Jack, 

27— Estelle's  Millionaire  Lover.    By  Julia  Edwards. 

26— Captain  Toui.     By  the  author  ot  Dr  Jack. 

25— Little  Southern  Beauty.    By  Mrs.  Alex.  McVeigli  Miller. 

24— A  Wastetl  Love.     By  Ciiarles  Garvice. 

2:i— Miss  Pauline  ot  New  York      By  ilie  author  of  Dr.  Jack. 

22 — Klaiue      iJy  i  harles  Garvice 

21— A  Heart's  Idol.    By  Bertha  M  Clav. 

20— Tlie  Senator's  Bride.     By  Mrs.  Alex.  McVeigh  Miller. 

19— Mr.  Lake  of  Chicago.     By  Harry  Du  Hois  Milman. 

18— Dr.  Jack's  Wife.     By  i-t.  George  Rathborne. 

By  Chu:'les  Garvice. 

Bv    Haddon    Chambers 


and    B.    C. 


17 — Leslie's  Lovalty 
16— The  Fatal  Card, 

Stepi»anson. 
1.5 -Dr.  Jack.     B\  St.  George  Ratiiborne. 
14 -Violet  Lisle.   'By  Bertha  M.  Clay. 
13— The  Little  WidoT.     By  Julia  Edwards. 
12— Edrie's  Legacy.     By  Mrs.  Georgie  Sheldon. 
1 1— The  Gypsy's  Daughter.     By  liertha  M.  Clay 
10— Little  Surjs'nine      By  Francis  S.  Snjth. 

9 — The  Virginia  Heiress      By  May  Agnes  Flemming. 

8— Beautiftil  but  Poor.     By  Julia  Edwards. 

7— Two  Kevs.    By  Mrs.  Georgie  Sheldon. 

6 — The  Midnight  xMarriage.    By  A.  M   Douglas. 

6— The  Seimtor's  Favorite.     Mrs.  Alex.  McVeigh  Miller. 

4 — For  a  Woman's  Honor.     By  Bertlia  M.  Clay. 

? — He  Loves  Me,  He  Loves  Me  Not      By  Julia  Edwards 

2— Ruby's  Reward.     By  Mrs.  Georgie  Sheldon. 

1— Queen  Hess.     By  Mrs.  Georgie  Sheldon. 

THESE  BOOKS  CAN  BE  HAD  IN  NO  OTHER  SERIES 


(\ 


T 


■) 


Ayer's 
Cure- 
book, 


A  story  of  cures 
told  by  the  rureii. 
Sent  free.  J.  C. 
Ayer  Co.,  Lowell, 
MasH.  , 


i 
i 


Good  health  will  not  shake 
hautls  \vit}i  bad  '>'Ood. 
^  Bad  blood  brands  the  ^  .'.iy  ^vith 
i  blotches,  blisters  it  witb  b-  ; .  *,  cats 
into  it  with  eruptions.  Beaut>  ^':§iyis 
in  the  blood,  because  there  ;  no 
beauty  without  health,  and  no  health 
without  pure  blood.  You  *h  find  a 
perfect  blood  purifier  in  Ayer's  Sarsa- 
parilla.     The  medal  marks  its  merit. 


m^^ 


